The Fall of Trinity Island (SyndiSparklez)
by Maedehea
Summary: A Syndisparklez fanfic taking place after Sonja died, leaving CaptainSparklez and Tom Syndicate to defeat Trinity Island all on their own. Mobs get slayed, antics pursue. Yer boi.
1. Chapter One: Day 24

**A/N ~ So this is a Syndisparklez fanfic based off of the series Trinity Island on Youtube. The story loosely fits the plot of the episodes, so things will be a little off, as they are meant to be: this is a fanfic, not a retelling of the episodes. Each chapter will be a day, or an episode from the series, starting from the day that Sonja died, (episode 23). Anyway, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

In a daze, Jordan swam up to the panhandle of land closest to the temple, struggling to hold his breath after the water-breathing potion had subsided. He broke the surface in a fit of coughing and wheezing, making it harder for him to reach out to the land not far out from his grasp. Pulling himself up to the shore, he laid himself on the dry ground to let him rest from the excruciating battle with the guardians, and the even worse battle of his emotions.

"Jordan?" Tom called out his single friend. He had seen Sparklez fling himself on the ground once they had breached the small island, wrapped in a poignant haze.

Ignoring him, Jordan lazily lopped his arm over his eyes, shielding them from the harsh sun rise. He hadn't noticed Tom follow him out of the temple, but he should have assumed that he would have. After all, it is just the two of them now.

Dropping his sword, Tom knelt down beside Jordan. He could see the angst and pain radiating from his friend beneath him. He rested his hand on Jordan's shoulder, trying to soothe the trembles that were taking over the older man's body. "You couldn't do anything, there were too many of them, and you were too far away. It'll be okay, mate. She's with Tucker, now."

Jordan rolled away from his friend's touch, burying his face into his arms. He could feel the truth in what Tom was saying, but it still hurt. To have seen their close friend slaughtered right in front of his eyes when he was barely a few feet away, himself. He could still feel the frigid water that clung to him through his drenched clothes, like how the memory of her screams clung to his freshly-scorned mind. _Sparklez! I believed in you!_

"I Know," he said, pushing his head deeper into the safety of his elbows, "It's just," he paused, lifting his face up, then directing it at Tom's, "I was right there. I saw it happen, for god's sake! I saw them zap her, I saw them mercilessly zap her and stab her with those goddamned horns until she collapsed, _until she died_, Tom. I watched her die. And I did nothing but protect myself."

Tom looked away from Jordan and his piercing words. He could see what Jordan was saying, but that didn't make him right. Sonja was gone, and it wasn't either of their faults. All they could do was be strong for her, go on and let her survive in their memory. They needed to push on, but more importantly, they needed to get home.

Jordan felt the sand shift next to him, and so he turned to look at the younger man who was now walking away from him. Tom had moved over by the shore again, tracing the cobble bridge that stretched across the sea. Jordan sat up, looking past Tom as he treaded farther from the island on the narrow bridge, seeming to look for the boats. He knew Tom was right about all of this, self pity and regret could do nothing for him and Tom, no matter how much he felt that he deserved to feel this way. He'd have to live on, and hopefully he'd be able to forgive himself sooner or later.

Jordan stood up from the dent in the sand that he created and stumbled over to the bridge, hesitantly doing so. The water seemed to mock him, taunt him with each wave and splash. The next time he tried to swim wouldn't be easily done, now that he harbored sour feelings to all that dwelled underneath the surface of these murky depths. Except maybe the squids, they weren't that bad.

Just as Tom reached the end of the partially-submerged structure that he had built the previous day, he turned back around, expecting to see his friend still strewn across the beach in his inconsolable state. Smiling, Tom was surprised to see that Jordan traversed not too far behind him. "Should we head back, then? Make plans to retrieve the rest of the gold and all that?" He asked, cautiously.

"Sounds good," Jordan replied, now reaching his friend at the end of the long dock. He scanned the area in search of his boat, finding it a bit far out into the water.

Tom located his boat as well, although it was a bit closer that Jordan's was. He muttered under his breath as he plunged into the icy water in an attempt to swim out to his wayward boat, turning his head back to beckon Jordan to come in after him. Once he clambered safely inside of his vessel, he sped off to ride along his friend while he continued to venture out after his own boat. Soon after Jordan had settled himself into his miniature ship and muttered something about litter, they set out on the short journey back to their home island.

* * *

"Day **three**. Day 2**3**. **Three** bosses. **Tri**nity Island. Notice a pattern, Jordan?" Tom inquired while he docked his boat and headed inside to see what he was able to collect from Sonja. He hadn't grabbed much with guardians on his own tail, just a few scraps of armor and some potions.

Jordan paused by the farm, thinking about the validity of Tom's suggested connection. Threes were becoming a repeating factor, yes, but what did that mean? "Seems to me that 'lucky three' doesn't exactly apply here."

"What do you think will happen day 33?" Tom, pleased with his new Protection-four chest plate that he had melded with his and Sonja's old ones, turned to face Jordan, who now joined him in their modest house. "The end of Trinity Island as we know it?"

Shuffling through his own inventory, Jordan scrapped up his findings and welded them together with his own armor pieces. "I don't think it will take us long to defeat the Wither and The dragon, but that very well could be our last day. Who knows?"

Tom nodded, not exactly happy with the idea of the last day. Now that it was only the two of them, they'd have to fight to the death as a finale. As gruesome as it sounds, he was actually excited for the battle. He missed the days back in Mianite when he could slay out his friends whenever he wanted, and they'd just come back a little more irritated. But here, no one comes back. He won't see Sonja or Tucker again until he dies, or hopefully, wins it all. But a part of him loathes the idea of having to combat his companion, not because Sparklez is well matched and could probably give Tom a good ass-whooping, but because they had gotten so close throughout the series. He can't imagine himself being the detriment to his friend, as he already feels guilty enough over Sonja, and he hadn't contributed to _her_ death. No, it would be too much. Best to only think about it when the time comes.

"Yeah, maybe," he murmured at last.

The island had never experienced many silent moments; there would always be Tom flailing about, or Jordan humming a tune, or even Sonja yelling at the wildlife. But now, a comfortable and companionable silence drifted over the house as the two survivors worked side-by-side to implement the abandoned armor into their own. It left some time for Jordan to think. He smiled to himself, reminiscing about the time that Sonja had built enormous walls in effort to accommodate those silly little animal pens. And then, of course, there was her dear rabbit, Moo, who had managed to outlast her and her boyfriend. He scoffed to himself at the thought that the rabbit may very well outlast him, too.

Hearing Jordan mutter something about a "damn bunny", Tom gazed back into the corner of the room to where theirs was held. Seemingly enough, he was surprised to see that there was another rabbit sitting on the beds. Checking to make sure that Moo hadn't escaped, Tom moved away from his station at the anvil to look over into the pen. What he found was a rabbit peering back at him.

"Who is this?" He asked aloud, shuffling back over to the beds, kneeling down to the black and white trespasser. "Moo's in his enclosure, so who would this be?"

Jordan turned away from his helmet on the anvil to address the newcomer. Tom had picked it up and held it out at arm's length for him to see, but nothing about the rabbit looked special. It was just another one of Moo's kin. "I don't know, Moo's long lost brother?"

Tom pulled the rabbit back into his arms, cradling it against his chest. Sitting down on the bed, he scolded Sparklez. "No! It's a sign, obviously. It's Sonja reincarnated." He tickled the rabbits chin, then proceeded to drop it down in the pen along with the other rabbit.

Jordan laughed to himself; Tom could really be an idiot. But he decided to play along anyway, "Sonja did love the bunnies, only makes sense for her to be one."

"Oh, totally, man. Do we have any name tags? She needs to be named properly," Tom said, jumping off of the beds to go rifle through the chests. Alas, he could not find a tag. Grabbing a fishing pole, he sprinted out of the door. "If it truly is a sign, then I'm going to be able to get a name tag first try. Don't worry, Jar-dan. I got this."

Sighing, Jordan went back to his work, leaving Tom to his own devices. Although most times he acts as if Tom's childish ways don't bother him, he is truly thankful for his humor and upbeat personality. It can keep the group going, even if it's purely on irritation and vexation from antics taken too far. But Tom has ways to keep things together, a positive aura that slaps you in the face, but occasionally entraps you in its pleasurable rapture. Realizing this, Jordan embraces the idea of having him as a teammate once more. The aura that Tom emitted earlier that morning was Jordan's salvation from his own mind, and for that, he is grateful for Tom.

"Balls..." Reeling in his first catch, Tom was not very pleased to see that he had caught a measly Salmon. Ok, that didn't mean that the rabbit wasn't Sonja. He just had some bad luck with the rod. Yeah, it was the rod. Definitely. He laughed to himself as he threw the rod down and pocketed the slimy fish, rushing back to the house. "It wasn't a name tag, just a stupid salmon, but I'm telling you, that rabbit is Sonja. 100%." He said, storming through the door, pulling out the dead fish and tossing it into the food chest.

"I believe you," Jordan said nonchalantly, then turned back to curse at his helmet. He had decided that he didn't want to combine the two, but it was too late to do anything. "Fire resistance on a cap will be great for when my feet go into lava, don't you think?"

Tom laughed, "Oh yeah, mate. You're in good shape," he poked at the potion stand. Looks as if Jordan made some more potions while he was out fishing. Strength and a few water-breathing pots, it looked like. He could never really tell, he wasn't the best with alchemy, so he usually let Sonja or Jordan deal with it. "So are we set to head back out? Get that gold for some more Notch apples?"

Nodding, Jordan pulled the Strength potions from the stand. He handed a few to Tom, "Yeah, I just need to get some Milk. Then we're good." He grimaced, hating the idea of returning to the temple so soon. They had barely gotten out the first time, so what would happen now?

"Yeah, same here," Tom took the potions from Jordan and stuffed them into his bag. He hated that inventories had to be translated into backpacks, if it were up to him, it would have been a mini black hole that just spat out whatever you wanted and kept whatever you didn't. He once suggested it to Tucker, but he had blown him off. He hadn't really thought about again it until now, maybe he'd bring it up with Jordan later.

Checking the chests once more, Jordan stumbled upon the Ender pearls. To his dismay, he counted a measly three pearls. "We have three enderpearls, yeah?" He asked Tom, figuring that he'd have some hidden away. That was a trait he hated about Tom during Mianite; the bastard always had so many pearls, making escape easy for him when Jordan and the others desperately needed him to stay put.

"Four, actually," Tom said, rolling his in his palm. He needed one for assurance. If he were ever in trouble, he could always count on one of these little pearls to rescue him with leisure. He couldn't imagine a time without one, he depended on them so much that he couldn't bear to be absent and void of the little spheres. "It's going to get pretty grindy when we get back, eight pearls and three heads. It may take a few days to get them all."

Jordan hummed in agreement. The proceeding days will not be fun for them, sitting around and waiting for Endermen to manifest, or bracing the Nether in search for those scarce Wither skeletons. He didn't like the normal skeletons much, and the Wither ones displeased him even more. He tore himself from his leaning position on the wall and directed himself to the door, pulling it ajar, he gazed out at the single grave facing the house a few yards away from the coast of the island.

Tom, coming to his side by the door, followed Jordan's eyes to the makeshift resting sight for Tucker. "We need to make her grave," he said, ducking back inside to grab some cobble and walls, as well as a sign. Trotting outside again, he dug out a space alongside the existing grave and placed the cobblestone down, mimicking the one to the right of it. Standing up, he mounted the wall as to resemble a tombstone and placed the sign on it, etching "Sonja, Episode 23," into the wood. "Get some flowers, will ya? Some Dandelions; Rabbits like those." He called over to Jordan, who was shuffling about somewhere behind him.

Looking around, Jordan picked some of the indicated flowers up by the wooden patio furniture and went inside to check the chests for more. He thought something out there was missing, but he hadn't realized it was the lack of a grave until Tom had mentioned it. Once he had acquired more flowers, he and Tom adorned Sonja's grave with them, and by the younger's request, Jordan placed some skeleton bones on the grave as to imply that she rested somewhere underneath them. "It's just us, then, no more Sonja," He whispered to Tom.

"Yeah, for the rest our time on the island, it's just you and me, Sparkley-pants," he replied, stealing a quick glance over at his friend, taking his figure in. Captainsparklez wore the same suit worn by his player model, and he even sported the same goofy sunglasses. Like his friend, Tom himself was dressed like his character, minus the green skin tone that his character sported. He liked the style of his outfit, although it was a bit irksome when it came to doing physical things, like battling a giant fish-thing under water. If he knew when he designed his model that he'd have to resemble whatever he created, he would have reconsidered his initial idea. He was sure that it should be the same for Jordan, and he smiled to himself as he imagined the elder of the pair running around in his armor and famous green basketball shorts.

The two headed back into the house after saying a few respectful words to their deceased friend, and further prepared for the trek back to the accursed temple. A few times Jordan had to ask him if it was really worth it to go back there, if the golden blocks were really worth the possibility of ending up beside Sonja. In the end, he decided that if they were to go up against two other major bosses, it would be beneficial for both of them to have Notch apples. He didn't want to either of them to end up like Sonja, helplessly dying when salvation could have been right at your fingertips. Yes, both of them would have the apples, and both of them would live to see the end. He was sure of it.

The pair dwaddled in the house, gathering their supplies and gearing up. Tom checked through his inventory, making sure he had his sword within reach and all of his potions were in line. While doing so, he noticed something. Two extra regeneration pots lay at the bottom of his sack, when he specifically remembered Jordan giving him only one the day before. Realization hit him, and he took a sharp breath. "She had two regeneration pots in her inventory the whole time..."

Jordan nearly dropped his own potions as Tom's words sunk in. "She could have saved herself, then," he let out a short laugh at the morbid thought. It really wasn't his fault, not solely, at least.

Tom shook his head and stuffed the potions back into his bag. "It was her own damn fault that she died," he stated, pulling himself out of his crouching position on the floor. "Stupid, stupid Sonja."

"Yeah, well, there can't be anything done about it now," Jordan said, walking to the door. Upon opening it he was met with water, and tons of it. An ongoing downpour had started while they had been inside, setting the perfect grim ambience. "Damn rain," he muttered, stepping outside onto the muddy earth. Meanwhile, Syndicate bounded outside in a silent determination, unaffected by the ruinous precipitation. Following his comrade, Jordan went to retrieve his boat.

"Back we go, then?"

* * *

Docking their boats at the same island that Jordan spent his somber morning, the two flung themselves about the beach. Tom, dancing around in the gazebo they made a day previously, and Jordan standing at the foot of the bridge.

"Ready to do this, mate?" Tom asked, approaching Jordan from behind.

Jordan glanced back at Tom, who was now standing to his left. "As ready as we'll ever be, I suppose. Get your water-breathing ready."

Tom nodded, already clutching it in his hands along with his sword. He was aching to get in the water and kill some mongrels, as a bit of payback for the murder of their friend, he'd take their gold and slay them out. Bouncing with fear and excitement, he trotted behind Jordan as they traced the path over the temple. Reaching the spot directly above the opening in the wall that they had made, they stopped. "You'll mine it right? You've got the better pick, after all."

Jordan looked down at the temple underneath, the image scattered with the raindrops breaking the surface. "Yeah, I got it." He said, getting his pickaxe out and lifting his pot up, and signaling for Tom to do the same. Nodding, the other held it up and brought it to his lips. Following in suit, Jordan tilted his head back and let the warm liquid pour down his throat. He could never pinpoint the exact taste of the potions; all were different variants of the same basic, dull flavor. Bland peppermint? Stale spearmint? He couldn't tell.

Tom threw his empty bottle to the side, hearing a satisfying crash as shards exploded onto the rock. He was fired up, ready to be done with this place. "Let's do this," he said jumping into the water.

Before Jordan had the chance to follow, he felt a sharp jab in his back and trembled as the image of a guardian flashed in front of his widened eyes. Gasping, he stumbled over, nearly straight into the water. He felt his pickaxe grow heavy in his arms, pinching the muscle and dragging him downward with the weight. He switched it out with his sword, and the tight spell over his arm lessened a tenfold. Moaning in the sensation of regaining his strength, he stood up again, now prepared for the plunge down into the water.

Tom swam into the temple, swinging his sword around in circles as to ward off any mobs close to him. Luckily, he didn't have any trouble getting in. He wished that it had been that simple for Sonja, but of course, a simple plead wasn't going to bring her back. Nothing could. While on his mind, he swam over to her final spot. He didn't know what he expected to see, but he traveled over there anyway. In the back of his mind he wondered if her body would be floating there, like he had last seen it. He didn't really know what happened to the bodies when people died, Tucker had blown up, so even if his body hadn't dispersed, there wouldn't have been anything left of him to find.

Peering out from the pillar that blocked his view, Tom saw nothing but a long, dark corridor stretching out before him. Perhaps after a certain time, the bodies materialized back in the overworld, back in reality. He'd have to see, when his time came. He shuddered at the thought. If things actually hurt here, like maims, blasts, stubbed toes and all else, then what would dying be like?

In Mianite, feelings were numbed, so everything was dumbed down. Swords felt like pokey needles, punches were hard pats, arrows were rubber bands. Nothing hurt like it did here. When he first got shot by a skeleton, he thought that he was a goner. The pain was explosive and real, and didn't go away for a day or two. He could only imagine, what was a creeper blast? What was a final blow or zap? If a measly stray arrow could halt his actions, what could the Ender Dragon or the Wither do to him?

Panic encased Tom as a weight descended on his shoulder, rudely jolting him from his stupor entirely. Unable to move easily under the water, he latched onto the nearby pillar in his frantic attempt to get away from the creature that had defiled him. To his alarm, though, the only thing in the area was a very amused CaptainSparklez. "You scared me! Don't do that, you fool!" He barked at him.

Jordan, unable to contain the hysterical sight of Tom hugging a column for dear life, shook with laughter as the other scolded him for doing so. "I'm sorry," he said, in between pants, "You should have seen it coming, I was right behind you, and then you just kinda blanked out. I had to get your attention."

Tom released the baluster from his grip, letting himself drift down so that his feet could touch the floor of the hall. "Whatever, man," he murmured, embarrassed that Jordan saw him react like that. He quickly shook off his slight blush and chuckled. "Anyway, this is no time for fun and games, we have business to attend," he said, trying to put on a blank expression.

Jordan nodded, gazing down the dark hall before them, and then back at Tom. "To think, it was right here," he said, throwing his hand out to indicate the few feet before them.

Tom looked at the space where he had imagined Sonja a few minutes previously, subconsciously rubbing the spot on his wrist where the arrow had penetrated his flesh. "Crazy, I know." He muttered.

The two fell into silence again as they swam past Sonja's final resting place, making their way throughout the dark chambers and slashing away at any guardians that dared to get in their way. They turned the corner and weaved through the pillars that Tom had set up earlier, occasionally adding more. Once at the opening of the room that lead to the main one with the stash of gold, the two stopped to regain any lost composure.

"We'll get that on our way back," Jordan said, motioning to the sponge that they had abandoned earlier. He took out his milk and took a quick sip, trying to avoid getting salt water in his mouth.

Tom realized that Jordan must have gotten fatigued and nodded, taking out his strength pot and swallowing it down. After he had discarded the empty bottle, he pulled his sword out and entered the rooms, making his way to the center expanse.

Jordan quickly darted past Tom, who had stopped at the entrance to the room to fend off a few peeved guardians; he needed to get the gold before he was affected again, or before he drowned. Grabbing hold of a pillar for support, he mined the five remaining blocks of gold from the core with a bit of difficulty, as his lungs felt tight and destitute. Speedily he grabbed the blocks and shoved them down into his bag, slowly making his way over to the platform where Tom stood, reaching an arm out to help him. Taking the offered hand, Jordan let himself be pulled into his friend's grasp. Tom offered him an encouraging smile, and pushed off towards the room that they came from but a moment ago. Jordan paused at the opening of the safe enclosure to take a quick swig from his water-breathing pot; his lungs were near collapse. Doing so, a beam from a guardian hit him, and once again, he had been blighted with mining fatigue. He choked as water tore it's way into his throat after he made the mistake of gasping when the virulent fish had struck. His eyes widened in horror; he was going to drown.

Tom, who was a few feet in front of Jordan when he heard a cry sever the water, stopped dead in his tracks and lunged back towards his friend. Grabbing him, he pulled the both of the them into the hallway. In a rushed and panicked motion, Tom grabbed the potion from his friend's hand and brought it up to his lips, ushering the liquid inside of his mouth. To his disappointment, this only induced more coughing and sputtering. He thought maybe that water breathing could help evade the water now in Jordan's lungs, but as he feared, the potion only prevented more water from coming in. He held Jordan as he shook and nearly caved with fits of coughs, and Tom couldn't tell if any water was coming out or not. "Come on, Jordan. This isn't the end, not yet. We can't lose two teammates to stupid guardians, for fuck's sake!"

After another minute or so, the fit subsided, and Jordan was relieved to find that he could breathe normally, or as normally as one could breathe underwater. Panting a bit from the excitement, he settled down next to the sponge, which Tom mined after he had sat down. "Can we," he paused, drawing a breath, "Just get out of here?" He asked, peering up at Tom.

Tom nodded, picking up the sponge. He held another hand out to Jordan, helping him up once their hands met each other. "You really had me worried there, bud," he said, patting his cohort on the back. "Luckily, I, Tom Syndicate, the incredibly handsome and smart hero had your back the entire time. You should be thankful to have a great friend like me."

Jordan laughed, shooting him an incredulous look. _He can't be serious... _

Tom stood, puffing out his chest and flexing his arms, showing off. "Go on, thank me."

Jordan shook his head and paddled away from him, pointing at a block that he wanted demolished so they could get out of the temple quickly. "You're nuts, but thank you, Tom Syndicate, for saving my fragile life. How in the world am I to compensate you for this righteous deed?"

Tom smiled, slinging his pick axe over his shoulder. "Gimme dat booty," he said, lifting the tool up to bring it down on the block that blocked their path to freedom.

"Excuse me?" Jordan asked, blushing.

"The gold, silly! As soon as we get back, you are to give me the gold so I can make a Notch apple. Ok, buddy?" He said, pulling himself out of the hole and into the open water.

Jordan propelled after him, gently tugging on Tom's leg as to slow him down. "Idiot," he muttered, giving Tom a friendly punch in the stomach.

Tom gasped and feigned pain, making a big scene for all of the squids to see. "Ow, god! Is this the way you treat your savior?! I should have left you to die!" He exclaimed, shaking his fist at the surface.

Rolling his eyes, Jordan quickly sped up to break the surface of the water and paddled over to the nearest boat. "Yeah, good luck on your own, with two more bosses to face."

Tom, now inside of his own boat, playfully scoffed at Jordan's words, "I could easily defeat them on my own! It's you who need me, not I who needs you!"

Jordan laughed at Tom's retort. Was he really going to do this? "Are you so sure about that?" He asked, putting the oars in motion, eager to get away from the infernal temple.

"Oh, definitely," Tom said, rowing over to Jordan. "You are, afterall, the one who nearly just drowned if it weren't for me."

"Yeah," Jordan said as they got farther away from the temple, "That may be true, but you'd be lost without me. You didn't even know how to dry out a sponge!"

"Wow, Jar-dan, I didn't think that you were the kind of person who would use someone's ignorance against them." Tom said, splashing him with water from his paddle.

"Well, hi, I'm CaptainSparklez, nice to meet you " he said, splashing Tom back.

"Why, you little..." Tom drifted off as he grabbed the side of Jordan's boat, attempting to tip it.

Anticipating the move, Jordan moved his oar underneath Tom's boat and gave him a warning look. If Tom was going to play games, then he would gladly play along.

Tom's eyes widened, "You wouldn't..." but it was too late. Jordan's oar shot up and knocked the boat over, sending it's occupant flailing into the water.

Jordan, who remained intact in his boat, quaked in laughter as he saw Tom trash about in the water. But this moment would be his last dry one, as Tom grabbed the side of his boat and shoved it down, spilling a surprised Sparklez into the ocean. "Tom!" He yelled as his head surfaced, drenched with the salty sea water.

It was Tom's turn for a fit of laughter, and he was bombarded with splashes and curses as he let himself relish in his feat. "It was only fair! 'Do unto others what you want done unto you,' or whatever."

Jordan scoffed, turning about in the water to find their boats. To his findings, both had been broken in tipping enacted. "Well, we broke our only boats."

"Shit, you don't have another?" Tom asked, looking around to ensure the validity in Jordan's words.

"No, and even if I did, I would not give it to you." He said, giving Tom another splash.

"Oh, come on! It could be your compensation, you know. Since you owe me for saving your life and all," Tom purred, poking at Jordan.

"Tom, I don't have a boat," he said, pushing his friend's finger away from his face. "And you should be happy; my presence is a gift in itself."

"Pretty sucky gift," Tom muttered playfully.

"Hey!" Jordan yelled, shoving Tom away and splashing him mercilessly.

"I'm joking, Jar-dan! I love you like a bro, man. I'm glad you're here with me, even if 'here' is stuck in the middle of the ocean, thanks to *cough* you *cough*," Tom said, pulling Jordan towards him. "Now come on, I don't want to get a cold."

"Can you even get a cold in Minecraft?" Jordan asked absentmindedly, letting Tom drag him towards their Island. It was close enough now that they could see it poke out on the horizon, along with the moon, which was inching its way up into the sky.

"I don't know? Do you think it was in the newest update, Mr.1.8?" Tom snickered, still holding onto his comrade's arm.

"Oh, ha-ha. Yeah. Because I would know that, being the only one on this goddamned island that bothers to keep up with the updates." Jordan said, pulling his arm away so he could swim more easily, he was tired, and his body ached for the bed that was just out of reach.

"Seeing that we're the only two left, I'd say that that's accurate," Tom said, his face growing solemn with the notion of their desolate state.

Jordan let out a small laugh. He had completely forgotten about their predicament, the play fight that they had completely redirected his focus off of it. He felt bad, to be goofing around when they should have been grieving for their friend, but a part of him knew that Sonja would have wanted them to be happy. After all, she and Tucker were probably laughing at them right about now, up in the over world.

"It's just so odd, I feel like we're missing a voice," Tom said, breaking Jordan from his thoughts. "I mean, it really is just the two of us, from here on out. If one of us dies, then it'll be just one, all alone." Tom added with a shiver. He couldn't tell if it were from from the cold, or simply from the fact that he loathed the idea of being without anyone else.

Nodding at Tom's words, Jordan sighed. "It'll be alright, we have each other's backs, like you had mine earlier."

Tom looked over at Jordan, who swam onward to the island now a few yards ahead. He pushed on, hoping to reach the land soon. The moon was well on its way into the sky, and he was tired enough as is. he wondered how Jordan was doing, if he still harbored all of the guilt and regret from earlier. Like he had said, it's now his job to have Jordan's back, and Jordan's job is to have his.

Upon reaching the island, Jordan moaned as he pulled himself out of the water. Letting himself lie back onto the hard ground. He closed his eyes and laughed; this was the exact way that he had started his morning. He heard a loud thump next to him, and opened one of his eyes to see Syndicate draped on the dirt next to him. "We made it," he murmured.

Tom groaned and arched his back, letting himself fall face first back into the ground. "Can we just sleep outside? I'm too tired to move any farther." He whined, turning to face Jordan. He didn't realize how much his body ached until he had flattened out onto the ground.

Jordan hummed in approval; he had no intentions of moving any time soon. The long day had worn itself into his muscles and temptations of sleep echoed in every spot of his mind. Today had been as physically pernicious as it had been emotionally. And to think, this was only the beginning of the painful days to come.

* * *

**A/N ~ So like I said, it hit the main points of episodes 23 + 24, all while adding some nice fluff in. Fun for everyone. Anyway, next chapter should be up in a few days, I'm on break so the next few should get fired out pretty quickly.**


	2. Chapter Two: Day 25

**A/N: As a reminder, this story is my take on the episodes of Trinity Island, and it's not meant to retell every little detail that happened in them. Yeah, anyway, enjoy the thing, and I'll update as soon as the next chapter is ready. Yer Boi.**

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Groaning, Tom reached up to massage his temple. He remembered that the previous day had been hard, and he imagined a goodnight's rest would help it go away, but alas, he wasn't very lucky. Not to mention that a night curled up beside the sugar cane out on the beach of their island isn't exactly the prime spot for sleep. Opening his eyes, he was assaulted with the harsh sun beams of the early morning. Yeah, definitely not a good spot. He stretched out his arms and legs, letting out a few more groans in the process; he was more stiff than he could afford to be. Trying to further soothe his tight muscles, he rolled around on the ground, swaying left and right in slow movements.

"What are you doing?" Jordan asked, sitting up from his laid-down position a few feet away from his friend in the sand. He woke up a few minutes ago himself, and finally decided to sit up when he heard shuffling in the sand next to him.

"Stretching; my body hurts like hell." Tom replied, rolling more quickly and rapidly, as to get closer to Jordan. Once he had practically rolled right onto his lap, Tom reached up and placed a gentle hand on the scruff on his friend's face. "Roll with me, Jordan," he whispered, rolling off of him and back onto the beach.

Jordan, unfazed by Tom's odd request, picked himself up off of the sand and stumbled over to the patio furniture in front of their cobble house. Extending his legs, he reached down to his feet and grasped his toes, hearing satisfying pops from several places on his body. He needed to stretch out as well, but he was not going to roll around in the sand like an idiot. There was Tom for that.

"Jordan...!" Tom yelled out once he realized that he had been left behind on the beach. In a frantic fit of flailing limbs he tugged himself out of the sand and hobbled over to where his friend sat. He dropped himself down in the chair across from Jordan, slumping forward to het his head rest on his palm. Letting a lazy finger drift towards his friend, he accused him further, "You left me all by my lonesome! We're a team now, we have to stick together,"

Rubbing his face with his calloused hands, Jordan let out a dry laugh. "Tom, I only moved, what, ten feet away?" He said, letting his hands drop down onto the table crafted from a pressure plate and a fence post. It was a little early for Tom to start his drama for the day, he usually just got out bed and slunk around the island until he had enough energy to break something or anger the wildlife.

Tom smiled at Jordan, pulling his hand down to poke at Jordan's, lightly tracing over his knuckles and fingers. He laughed when the darker haired man shot him a quizzical look, so he grabbed the hand completely and laced his own fingers with the other's. A restless urge for mischief rumbled inside of him; yesterday was too dark and gloomy, he needed to lighten things up a bit. "Dear, dear Jar-dan, I cannot be without you, mate."

Jordan blushed as an impish grin spread across Tom's face. He didn't bother investigating too far into the eccentricity his friend was now showing, deciding that he was still too tired to do anything else but go along with whatever was playing out. "Is that so?" He asked, trying to entangle his fingers from Syndicate's tight grasp. "Yesterday you said that you could far pretty well without me, and you seemed really sure of yourself."

Tom finally let go of Jordan's hand, but only to pursue the dramatic scene of feigning misery. He brought his hands up to his face, smothering himself as he did so. He let out shaky gasps and pretend sobs, as if his body were trembling. "Oh, Jordan! I was delirious! Filled to the brim with hysteria, I was. The death of Sonja plagued my spirits. You shan't believe the words of a man in grief!" He said, moving a finger so he could peek out his friend, who of course, was not buying any of Tom's shenanigans.

Jordan stifled a chuckle; Tom was pitiful. He could always rely on the younger gamer to provide comedic relief, but some things that Tom did for a laugh were just outlandish. Maybe it was to keep their minds off of Sonja, and that's why he was putting on a scene. He needed a distraction, so apparently theatrical presentations were his way to keep his mind off of things. Jordan could use that, a bit of a distraction. His dreams were bedeviled with tormenting pictures of the day before, and if anything could ameliorate his conscience, he would take it with outstretched arms. "I'm sure that the moment you found my dead body you'd burst out in fits of cheer and happiness." He said, playfully.

Tom clutched at his chest and gasped, adding to his dramatic effects. He knew that Jordan was just playing along with his escapades as always, but a part of him urged to know if Jordan genuinely thought this. Was there ever a time that Jordan or Tucker, even, were actually being serious with him, when he thought that they were just playing along? Tom definitely had times when he wore a jaunty mask when he actually felt troubled; it was just how he dealt with things. Now was one of those times, it seemed. "Never! We're a team, buddy! And I don't know if you've noticed, but there's no 'I' in 'team'." He paused, letting a small, shaky breath out. If he could change his tone to a more humorless one, maybe Jordan would see that he meant business. "Nor a lonesome 'Syndicate', either."

Missing the sign from Tom that the conversation had turned more meaningful, Jordan continued on comically. "If you change 'team' to all capital letters then there's an 'I' in the 'a', depending on the font," he said, "So technically, there can be one person in a team, since there's an 'I' in 'team' and whatnot."

Sensing the oversight in his implication, Tom disregarded the attempt to be serious and let himself embrace the humorous facade once again. "What are you trying to say?" He asked, making a show with his arms.

"Nothing, man," Jordan said in a slightly higher pitch. He looked up a Syndicate, who now stood up, towering over him. "Nothing at all."

Leaning back down on the table, but not quite sitting down, Tom wagged a finger in Jordan's face. "Are you, CaptainSparkley-Dick," he paused, letting his finger rest on his friend's nose, "Saying that you don't need me?"

Jordan pulled his hands up in surrender, letting a sly smile splay on his face. "If you put it that way..." He said, drifting off to indicate that his friend's accusation was correct. But of course, he didn't truly mean it. If something were to happen to his friend after all that they had been through together, well, he didn't know what would happen or what he would do, and he surely didn't want to find out.

Tom bit his lip and growled, "Who do you think you are...?" He asked, jokingly shoving Jordan from his seat and onto the ground. Quickly moving over to his new hostage, Tom sat on his back and pinned his arms to the dirt, making escape improbable. It stung him in a way, to hear Jordan say things like this, even if he didn't mean them. He couldn't pinpoint why, why Jordan's lax words belittled him like this.

Grunting, Jordan tried to shake the hindrance off of his back, but to no avail; he was stuck. "Tom..." He groaned, letting his face fall into the messy earth. This is what happened when he got too engrossed in his friend's antics, he supposed. Jordan knew that he shouldn't indulge Tom like this, there would probably be a joke that would eventually get him killed, or even the both of them. He could only imagine being out in the Nether, and then there would be Tom, screaming for his life as a hoard of pigment came after them both. Shaking his head, Jordan tried to reach up and grasp his captor, failing miserably.

Laughing at his friend's struggle, Tom stood up and offered a hand to his freed detainee. "I'd say you've learned your lesson," he said, gesturing for Jordan to take his hand by flexing and unflexings his fingers.

"And what lesson was that?" Jordan asked. He hesitantly took the hand proposed and lifted himself off of the ground, spitting out pieces of stray grass that had entered his mouth uninvited.

Still firmly grasping the older gamer's hand, Tom scratched his chin and squinted his eyes, looking upward as if to convey that he were in deep thought. "The hell do I know? Something about friendship, I suppose." He said with a short laugh. "Now then, what are we to do today?" He asked, picking up Jordan's other hand and began to swing their arms back and forth, to his left and then Jordan's, and then back again.

Ignoring the odd yet predictable exhibition that his friend was making, Jordan regarded the question by contorting his face in focus. What did they need to do, again? He had forgotten about the objectives that they needed to complete while he was goofing about with Tom. He noticed that it was an effect that Tom possessed; he could easily turn one's mind from something with a simple phrase. "Ender pearls. We need to make a spawner." He said once he had remembered what they needed to do.

Smiling, Tom released Jordan's hands and trotted into their house a few feet away to retrieve the proper materials. They needed cobble, lots of cobble. After pocketing his rock supply, he pulled out his pick axe and slung it over his shoulder, heading back outside to accompany Jordan, who had made his way to the place where they'd build the spawner which was on the complete other side of the island. "All the way over here?" He asked, referencing the location.

"Yeah, if we're not however-many blocks away the mobs won't spawn," Jordan replied, clearing away some sugar cane. They were past the animal farm and enchanting room, at the tip of the island. He had already started placing down blocks when Tom had strolled over and began helping, praising Jordan for one of his previous spawners.

"The best one you made was for that Sky Block-thing; it was raining mobs from the sky!" Tom said, adding onto Jordan's base by making a jagged line jutting out to the right. Jordan had a knack for these types of things, building and designing. He made a fucking modern-contempory house with nothing but reference pictures, meanwhile Tom had to get building lessons from the wizards to build a some-what decent looking house. And not that it was like that, Jordan had an eloquence with all sorts of things, like potions and building and just simple things that the younger gamer found himself admiring.

"Yeah, well the only reason that was possible was because that was the only chunk that they could spawn on, so it was the only place for them to go," Jordan replied, forming the floor of the spawner. Moments like this, he was greatful for help. Building spawners and such could be a tedious process, and even if he was doing a good bit of the work, it was nice to have someone to talk to while he managed. "We have caves and stuff where they can spawn, so it's a little harder trying to get them to spawn up here."

Tom nodded, he could see what Jordan was saying. Another thing that he couldn't help but to respect Jordan for was his complete knowledge for seemingly everything. The new update? He's got that. That crafting recipe? He knows it. Any terminology or anything, he can rely on Jordan to know -at the very least- something about it. "So why don't we build the spawner over there," Tom proposed, pointing over at the opposite end of the island where the house and farm were stationed. "Where we have underground all lit up?"

Jordan paused a moment to consider what Tom had said. It's true, the mobs would be a little more likely to spawn, but only a little. And they had already started building on this side, so they might as well stay. "We could, but that would be closer to us, so they'd be less likely to spawn, that and we haven't lit up that much to really make a difference." Yeah, that sounded good enough.

Once again, Tom nodded at Jordan's reason and kept building, earning an odd look from the older gamer. "How wide should we make this thing?" He asked for reassurance.

"Not that big, we still need a roof on this thing." Jordan replied, adding more rows of cobble to his side of the build. What did Tom think they were doing?

"Oh, we do?" Tom asked inquired, genuinely curious. He stopped building to look up at Jordan. What were they going to need a roof for? If the mobs were just going to spawn normally, then what use was it?

"Yeah, if we want them to spawn during the day so we can get the pearls, we'll want a roof. No light," Jordan stated as if it were fact, which it might as well have been. Sometimes he had to wonder if Tom only knew how to swing a sword and pick axe and not much else. Obviously, he knew that wasn't the case, Tom could be very capable, but when he forgot simple things like how mobs spawned, Jordan could only guess.

"Oh, ok," Tom replied shamefully. What was he thinking? Of course they'd need a roof. Sometimes he wondered if he had his head on tight half of the time. He was just greatful that Jordan didn't make fun of him for his idiocy too often, he could really count on his friend for helping to straighten him up. Thinking this, he thought back to their conversation earlier. Maybe Jordan was right, in a way. He could probably far pretty well without Tom, seeing as Jordan can work well independently, and Tom seemed to do all but be productive sometimes. But then he thought back to yesterday when he saved Jordan from drowning, and he began to reconsider his worth. Perhaps they both needed each other, as much as they seemed to differ in strengths. He'd have to test this later and see if Jordan thought the same thing, or if he really did think Tom as the weak link.

"Yeah, here," Jordan said, watching Tom struggle with the size. "I'll outline it for you, and you can just fill it in." He began to go along the edge of the blocks, setting one down at a time to create a perimeter for the spawner. This was much easier than to have them both try and format at the same time, to just have them follow a design and help each other out as they constructed it. It was a trait that Jordan found between the two of them; they were very good at executing together. They had a flow and balance that every team should strive to have.

"Yeah, that'll do," Tom said as he began to remove the excess blocks that he had placed before, accommodating to Jordan's new shape. After he finished collecting the newly demolished blocks he stood up on the structure to look at what his friend had finished. A clear rectangle had been made into the floor, although the middle needed tobe filled in, so he set to work on completing the floor. Row by row he imbedded more rock into the floor as Jordan added pillars to make the ceiling, climbing onto the blocks as he did so. _He's going to fall, any moment now..._ Tom thought to himself as he strode back to the designated opening of the spawner, a few blocks away from where Jordan clung to the oncoming roof.

He'd admit, it wasn't the best idea; straddling the beam that he was currently building. Jordan didn't realize it, though, until he felt himself slip to the left side as he tried to place another block. Desperately trying to grab at the grooves in the cobble, his abdomen slid off of the rock entirely, and the weight shift sent him toppling down. It wasn't the worst falling-scenario, it could have been a cliff, or a ravine, or something higher than three blocks, but then again, if he so much as sprained his ankle, he'd be very little help the rest of the series, seeing as they don't exactly have medical care on their remote island in a game-world. But to his Luck, Tom must have seen his fault before he did, and he had moved underneath Jordan to catch him. At least that's what he thought Tom was doing, because he wasn't exactly caught, as Tom had dropped him as soon as he entered the younger gamer's arms.

"Oh, shit, sorry," Tom said, letting out a small laugh. He didn't mean to drop him, he just didn't expect him to fall that fast and hard. Helping Jordan up, Tom brushed some dirt off of his shirt and helped straighten his sunglasses. "There we go, all better."

Jordan shot Tom an unamused glance, then quickly went to finish the beam that he had so gracefully fallen off of. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, seeing as Tom broke his fall, mostly. But now he was at a much better angle and could place blocks more easily, and he didn't have to worry about any altercations with gravity. "It's ok, I'm good." He said, patting Tom on his shoulder.

Tom shook his head and laughed; Jordan was shameless. He turned back to the mouth of the spawner and gazed at it, they were making slow progress, but something wasn't quite right. "This side is longer than the other," he said, trotting over to the side underneath Jordan's beam. Quickly, he slid along the edge of the platform, adding a row of cobble to even out the sides. "If I don't do anything, it'll drive me mad," he muttered to himself. Looking up after he successfully matched the sides, he noticed that Jordan had almost finished the roof, and was now working on putting in a wall. The guy was crazy fast, but Tom could be, too. Scrambling back to his feet, the younger gamer placed block after block in swift motions, moving backwards to accommodate the speed of the wall's growth. Soon he was at the edge, so he let himself pause, but he noticed that Jordan had left. Shrugging, he moved over to complete the abandoned wall.

Jordan rummaged through the chests, surely they hadn't ran out of cobble. They had surplus amounts of it, yet he could find none. Out of sheer determination, he even checked the food and alchemy chests, willing the rock to appear for him. But while digging through the alchemy chest, he was faced with the regeneration potions that Sonja had dropped. It was ridiculous, really, that she had to have died. But then again, while your battling for your life, Jordan realized that sometimes the very thing that can save you is the furthest from your mind. Like when he had began to drown the day before, he hadn't even thought of drinking the water breathing to help him until Tom had practically shoved it down his throat. Tom was good like that, oddly enough. He could wiggle himself out of tight spots, as well as others, it seemed. Rolling the potions in his palm, Jordan wondered if it would be much different if Tom had been in Sonja's position instead. Would he have remembered the pots? Would he have saved himself? What would have happened if he had died? What would it be like if it were just Jordan and Sonja? Jordan pushed the questions aside and continued the search for blocks and a pick axe, it didn't matter, he supposed. It was him and Tom, and he and Tom would conquer the world together.

Tom had all but finished the back wall when Jordan came back, stone slabs in hand. He even had built a fancy entrance over the opening, so how was that for speedy? "Almost done," he commented, letting Jordan know that he was acknowledged.

"Almost," Jordan replied, striding to the back of the spawner to fill in the open wall. The spawner had gone up pretty quickly. "I couldn't help but sigh at the sight of the regeneration potions in the chest," Jordan said, willing Tom to give his opinion on it. He hadn't really thought about it before, but how did Tom really feel about Sonja's death? He knew that like himself, Tom was sad to see a little mistake cost the life of their friend, but did he harbor any guilt or frustrations, like Jordan still does? Of course Tom wasn't in the spot that Jordan was physically and emotionally when it had happened, but did that make a difference? Could he be mad at Jordan for not doing anything? It didn't seem likely, but he couldn't help that let his mind wondered through all of the possibilities.

Tom laughed, and quickly moved to cover his mouth. It was a bit rude to laugh at Sonja, especially so soon after her passing, but Tom couldn't help it; it was pathetic. "Her own damn fault!" he asserted, biting back another laugh. It was just like her, too, in her derpy finess. Regaining his control, Tom shook his head and gazed back into the Spawner, spotting a somewhat forlorn Sparklez. "Does it make you feel a little better, knowing that she could have been her own savior?" He asked, genuinely concerned. Jordan still hadn't quite managed to let it go, and it intrigued the younger gamer as to why. Would he feel the same way about Tom, if it were him who had died? He could only guess, for now, at least.

Jordan leaned against the newly built wall, thinking about Tom's question. He had felt better, truly, but it still hurt, knowing that she depended on him, yet he couldn't help her in her final moments. Maybe Tom would understand, if he explained it. Although he figured Tom had gotten over it and was waiting for Jordan to move on as well, so really wouldn't do any good to dwell on it any more together. "Yeah, quite a bit. Takes off some of the pressure, you know?"

Tom nodded, he too knew the pressure of having people depend on you, although it was a new feeling. For so long he was alone on Mianite, doing things independently, seldomly teaming up with Nadeshot and the others. But even when he did, he found himself distant from them, sometimes even on the other side of the action. Now, though, on the island, teamwork practically slapped him in the face, constantly reminding him that working together was essential. Albeit it could be daunting, having others rely on him, he found himself relishing in the support and pure warmth of it all. Jordan, Tucker, Sonja and he were a grand group, and he was glad to work along side them, even if half of the group was no longer present. Even then, he's still thankful for Jordan, who he finds himself getting closer to every waking moment. But a part makes him wonder, was the feeling mutual? Since Jordan often teamed with Tucker and Sonja more often, did that mean that he felt a little more alienated towards Tom? These thoughts clouded Tom's mind, driving him to a conclusion; he'd have to discover his worth to Jordan, one way or another.

"Yeah, I get what you're saying," Tom said, slowly backing away from the spawner. "Hey, uh, I hear a spider underneath of us, so I'm just gonna go and get it," He added, biting his lip.

"Ok, you do that," Jordan said, taking a step back to look at the wall. There was a minuscule amount of light shining through the stone slabs that he had built the wall with, and out of fear for less mobs accumulating because of the light, Jordan tore the wall down and began to fill it back up with regular stone, muttering to himself as he did so. There could be so many little technical things that could go wrong, it appeared. Slabs that glisten, insubstantial amount of pigs, cruel enchantment tables, anything and everything was out to get them, as it seemed.

Tom shuffled through the chests, frantically trying to find some redstone and glass bottles. He already had coal and gun powder somewhere in his inventory, it was just these few pesky items that he needed, and then he would be set. His hand brushed over a cool, hard item, and briskly he pulled it out. A wide grin formed on his face, now where was that redstone?

Jordan stepped outside once he had successfully rebuilt the far wall, admiring his and Tom's build. He'd have to step farther away to actually have the mobs spawn inside, so he sealed the entrance up and stode over to the enchanting table area and poked around at the table. He didn't have any levels for anything, he just wanted to see what he could get. There was that gold pick axe in the chest, he remembered, maybe he could see if he got anything interesting for it. Grabbing it, he came back into the sanctuary and placed it on the table, sifting through the book to see what he could get. Sadly, nothing of relevance showed for the pick axe. He then pondered his luck with a sword; the desperately needed a looting sword for the skeletons, and it wouldn't hurt to have it for the Enderman, either. But he didn't need to worry himself with that, as there were quite a few enchantments that they needed, such as Tom's feather-falling boots, which He appeared to be very keen on getting. But at the thought of the younger gamer, Jordan paused. It had been taking him a while, especially just to rid a spider. What was he doing down there that was delaying him so long?

Tom poured the fixed mixture out onto his palm, snickering as he did so. A bottle of water mixed with redstone for color, and a bit of coal for thickness. Letting it fall into his other palm, he let his fingers dip into the liquid; it wasn't warm like blood was, just room temperature. If he would have had the time, he would have put the bottle in one of the brewing stands. Jordan probably won't pay too much attention to the temperature, and will most likely just focus on the appearance of the liquid itself. It was quite convincing, as it had the appearance of actual blood. Prideful of his quick handiwork, Tom smiled and began lathering his torso with the liquid, making sure to get his blazer and shirt soaked with it. He even gave his clothes a few tears for good measure. Satisfied, he turned around, making sure no actual mobs were near. With none found, he shook his head and grinned once more; this was going to be good.

Jordan's heart stopped as soon as he heard it; an agonizing cry echoing from the mine. His mind raced as he turned around, dropping the diamond pick axe he held in his hand. Maybe it was just a mob, the wind, a gaseous cow, anything. He silently pleaded for the source to be anything, anything but what he feared it to be. As realization slowly poured in, his mind began to thicken with numbness and the abundance of clotted words trying to find a way to his mouth. _No, no, no, no, _repeatedly bounced off of the tip of his tongue as his muscles began to move subconsciously. Jordan felt himself stagger, falling against his will. Perhaps he was going into shock, he couldn't tell. All he knew was that he couldn't let this happen, not again, not ever. He urged himself to move, get himself going. He needed to find Tom, yes, that's what he needed to do. He needed Tom. He needed to find him, he needed to find him and tell him about the gassy cow that sounded like a scream. He needed to find Tom and laugh with him about the cow. He needed Tom.

He didn't know how he managed to make his way down the stairs, let alone get out of the enchantment area, but in his daze Jordan found himself at the bottom of their mine, in the small space that Tucker had once perished. He choked out a whimper as his eyes glazed over the enclosure, seeing that Tom was not any where to be found. "Tom?" He called out, peering out into the open space. He stumbled further in, glancing around as to catch a glimpse of his friend. Still, he spotted no Syndicate. "Tom, please," he called again, moving towards the area in front of him where the younger gamer had once cleared a lake of lava. He paused once his feet touched the obsidian, eyes widening in horror. Again, his mind chimed a nonstop rhythm of slurred "no's" as his eyes drifted to the body that lay a few blocks in front of him, recognizing it as his dear accomplice Tom Syndicate.

Jordan dropped to his knees, muttering a few incomprehensible curses as he began to crawl towards his fallen friend. "Tom, Tom, Tom," he murmured over and over again, sliding to sit next to his head. Jordan felt his eyes grow heavy as they looked down the motionless body of Tom; the situation was surreal. There was blood everywhere, draped along his neck, smothered along his collar bones, sticking to his shirt. His sword had fallen beside him, along with dust from a mob, nonetheless. "Tom, no," He whispered to the corpse as he lifted Tom's head into his lap. Jordan brought his hands up to cradle his head and let the stream of _no, no, no's _slip out of his mouth. How? How could this have happened?

Tom couldn't help but open one of his eyes; he really wanted to see Jordan's initial reaction, but hearing it was enough. He was able to hear His friend call out to him when he had come down into the mine, as his heartbreaking mutters and murmurs could be heard easily in the small space. Peeking out, he saw that Jordan had his palms in the bed of his eyes, so he was unaware that an undead-Tom peered up at him. His own heartbeat increased when he noticed the barely-audible pleads coming from his somber friend, and Tom prayed that Jordan was unable to feel the intense poundings coming from his body. Becoming more conscious of his body, he noticed that he no longer laid strewn on the floor, but in the arms of the older gamer, which were shaking quite a bit. Slowly and cautiously he moved his arm up to place two fingers under Jordan's chin, lifting it slightly as he did so. "I didn't know you cared so much, Jar-dan," he said with a wry smile.

Jordan's mind snapped as soon as he felt something under his chin, and his consciousness sang out when his ears heard a voice other than his own. "Oh," he said softly as he moved his hands and a smirking Tom was revealed to him. "Oh my god, Oh."

The younger gamer sat up out of his lap and beamed at him. "Miss me?" He chimed.

"Oh my god, Tom!" Jordan repeated as realization hit him again, drawing the surprised living-Tom into his arms. "You fucking idiot, you," He said, gripping Tom's blazer and laughing.

"I got your ass, I got your ass good!" Tom said, letting Jordan embrace him.

Jordan shook his head and held Tom out at arms length, looking him over. He genuinely looked hurt, and if he wasn't, then what was all of the red goop on him, and why was he so pale? His eyes came back up to Tom's face, were an over-pleased grin sat, beaming at him. With another laugh, Jordan shoved Tom over and got to his feet. "I'm mad at you," he said, trying to shake the amused smile off of his own face.

Tom chuckled and stood up, reaching out to grab Jordan's arm and pull it in to his grasp. "C'mon, Jar-dan! It was a good prank, and you know it," he said. It was funny to see Jordan flustered and happy like this. "You know you want to forgive me,"

Jordan shook his head, prying Tom's fingers off of his arm. He walked around in a circle around the mess on the ground where the younger gamer had laid a moment before, revving his face with his hands and groaning. Tom was alive. Tom was well, even. He glanced back over to where he had left his friend standing and found that he still had that stupid smile plastered on his face. "I hate you," he muttered, turning away from him.

"No you don't," Tom said with a light-hearted laugh. "Because if you did, then you wouldn't have just sat there and cried over my lifeless body," he finished with a dramatic glance, making his way to Jordan, wrapping him in a hug from behind.

Jordan laughed again, "You're an ass, you know? I was truly worried about you," he said, addressing the gamer who was embracing him. All he could think of was the pure shock that radiated in his body once he had finally processed that his friend was alive, and that same shock still buzzed in his head. What was he thinking? Did he want to give Jordan a heart attack? But he didn't really care, now. He could only revel in the fact that he was okay, and that they were okay, and that everything was okay.

"I know, believe me, I know," Tom replied, closing his eyes and resting his head on the older gamer's shoulder. It was a crazy, stupid, spontaneous idea that he had, but he was beyond content with the turn out; Jordan made it blatantly obvious that he cared about Tom, and Tom was elated. He had worth and he could feel it.

* * *

"Man, we should have built one of these ages ago!" Tom exclaimed, striking down a skeleton that wondered from the mouth of the spawner. He and Jordan had climbed back up to the surface of their island after they had both regained composure to check on the structure housing several unhappy skeletons.

"Yeah, we're getting a lot of bones, but not much else," he replied, taking on yet another skeleton that scampered out of the spawner. He looked over at his companion once the mob had been dealt with, seeing that the younger gamer had a glow about him. He definitely looked happier and lighter mood-wise. Wether it was the fact that he had successfully planted a good prank or that he had a chance to let loose all of his nervous energy on the undead was beyond Jordan. He was glad to see that Tom had reclaimed his state of jauntiness that had been lacking the past few days.

Tom smiled, glancing over at Jordan and met his gaze. "Sorry again, mate," he said, letting out a small laugh. He had apologized several times already, but a part of him worried that he had made the older gamer a little malevolent towards him. He knew that it was absurd to think that, seeing as both of their moods had diluted, making them more relaxed and pleasurable. Perhaps it was guilt, then, which would make sense. He felt terrible after he had seen how strung up Jordan had become once he had found Tom supposedly dead. It was as if all happiness had left the earth entirely, and the only one who had to endure what had been abandoned. If one single thing could break Tom inside, it would have been the woeful susurations from his friend.

Jordan shook his head and laughed; Tom was overcompensating too much. He was fine, truly. _Just shocked, that's all, _he thought, trying to reassure himself. Although he knew that wasn't quite right, something was off. He, nor Tom, for that matter, expected him to respond like that. He hadn't cried, like he had been accused of, but Jordan found that he very well could have. Was it that he was afraid of being alone? Was it the impact of two losses so close in time to one another? He couldn't tell, and quite frankly, he didn't want to.

"I'm fine, really. It was a good prank," he responded.

"You bet it was!" Tom said, running to the opening of the spawner to get a spider that couldn't fit through the entrance. "You want to know how I did it?" He asked, picking up the string from the slain spider.

"Well, yeah," Jordan said, slashing at a spider that had crept on him from behind. He was aching to know how he made it look so realistic.

"A mixture of redstone and coal was for the blood, and then the dust in the ground was just some gun powder with a dab of water and coal," he answered, nonchalantly. He was proud of his feat in the world of trolling and eager to share his tricks.

"No way," Jordan said, stopping in his tracks. Had it really been that simple? "But what about the paleness?"

"What do you mean?" Tom asked, checking inside of the spawner to see if anything else lurked in the dark. He didn't remember enhancing complexion in anyway.

Jordan shook his head, maybe he had just imagined him pale, or something like that. He still couldn't grasp why he did it, if boredom was the sole reason, or if it had been because of something else. "Did you have this planned all day? Was it your way to get back at me for what I said earlier this morning?"

Coming back out, Tom smirked. Jordan was beginning to piece things together, it seemed. "Well, no and sort of. I thought of it not to far before we finished this thing," he said, gesturing to the mob-manifested in front of them. "And then yea, it was a bit of pay back." He said, giving Jordan a gentle shove. "Plus we needed a little fun after yesterday; it was too damn depressing."

Jordan brought his hand up to his face and rubbed his temple. The whole situation was just crazy. Brilliant, but crazy. He truly didn't give Tom enough credit, it appeared; the guy was a fucking mastermind. "You son of a bitch..." He sighed, dropping his sword in a show of defeat.

Tom laughed and walked over to the older gamer "I am a son of a bitch!" He stated, raising his arms as to gesture to himself. "But it's ok. Hugs?" He asked, already enveloping Jordan into yet another embrace. He was glad that Jordan wasn't mad at him for his little escapade; their friendship was the last thing left, and he was going to preserve it as long as he could.

Jordan didn't object to the hug but accepted it gladly. After the fear and the calamitous sadness that he had felt earlier, he would take any support and kindness with open arms, figuratively and literally. The past few days had worn on him more that the rest of the series had as a whole, and all that he wished for now was a few peaceful hours of Enderman slaughter.

Pulling away, Tom walked back over to the spawner, Jordan trailing close behind. He spotted a few lowly mobs slinking in the back of the darkened building, waiting for the two to come for them. Upon entering the spawner, Tom noticed an abundance of creepers and zombies now headed for them. He tried to move backwards but a negligent Jordan blocked his way. "Whoa man, move out of the way," he said, tripping over the older gamer as a zombie grabbed at Tom's shirt.

"Oh sorry, I couldn't see," Jordan replied, stumbling out of the spawner. Maybe it was best that they go in there one at a time, seeing as that was a close call. "We wouldn't want you to actually get killed, now,"

Tom laughed, clutching the back of his head as he ran the zombie in with his sword. That was probably the last thing either of them needed, to careless with their actions and to legitimately die. "Can you imagine, though? Me dying from a damn zombie," he said, turning around to face Jordan. "I mean, getting kamikaze'd by creeper and gang banged by guardians sucks, but a _zombie_?" He scoffed, moving back into the spawner to rid of the rest of its inhabitants.

"Yeah, that would stink," Jordan looked around, trying to find something to swipe at, but nothing could be found. Tom looked as though he were managing the spawner well, so there was nothing he could really do to help out. Deciding that he would be of no use, Jordan let himself sink onto the steps leading to the spawner, and he could hear their builder slashing about somewhere within the dark building. Swinging his legs over to face the ocean, Jordan marveled at the sight. The sun was setting to his left beyond the spawner, giving the water a fiery glow. He liked nights this in the minecraft world, when things were slighty serene and beautiful. Often he could never experience times like this anywhere else since he lived in a bustling city, and a little vacation to this false reality was bliss. It was always better than sitting at a computer and playing the game that way, now that he could see and feel the game in all of its sensuous glory. He was lucky, truly lucky.

Tom strolled out of the spawner, sword in hand. There must have been a good five creepers in there, and he was fortunate that they didn't blow up the whole structure. He came out and paused when he saw his friend gazing out to the distant ocean, sitting over top of it as he did so. A part of him was tempted to send Jordan flailing into the murky water, but he knew that he had frightened his friend enough for one day. "It's getting a little late," he stated, turning to see the sun jut out from behind the spawner, the tip of it barely visible, seeing as most of it was obscured from the surface of the water.

"Yeah, it is. I'm getting tired, but looks like we'll be out here for most of the night," Jordan said, turning around to face his newly returned friend. He was a bit surprised when he heard Tom speak, as he had not heard the younger gamer step out of the spawner.

"What do you mean?" Tom asked, puzzled to why Jordan would think that. Surely they would go to bed?

"Well, if we want to get things rolling here, we're going to have to get those pearls. Eight Enderman ought to spawn in a few hours, and then we'll be good to go." Jordan said, pushing him self off of the stone stairs and back onto his feet.

"Then can we go to bed?" Tom whined, moving ahead of Jordan and into the spawner once again.

Jordan nodded, standing back as Tom headed back into the mob-manifester. Tom was pretty good with extirpating the monsters, seeing as he moved swiftly and strongly as he handled his sword with a transcendent grace. Jordan would admit that he wasn't bad, himself, but something inspired him when he saw Tom kick back and slay out seemingly everything with his unfathomable fervor.

Tom smiled wickedly as he tore through a group of skeletons eager to escape their dark enclosure. The combat was one of the most improved things in this minecraft; it was so much better in person. He liked that the mobs actually fought back instead of just shoving him with their posionous flesh, adding a new intensity and ardor to the whole thing. Laughing, he picked up an armful of bows left by the now ashen undead-archers from the ground. "We should have built one of these so long ago, I'm telling you. Look at all of these bows I just got!" He said, lifting the trophies up in the air as he lead himself out of the sullen room.

"Yeah, that would have been helpful," Jordan said as he took down a skeleton that appeared outside of the spawner. He picked up the bow that it had dropped and then the one that Tom threw down at his feet. "Oh, yeah, definitely. I just got an up breaking bow from that one,"

"You see?" Tom said, ducking in to see if anything else had popped up. Once he saw that nothing had come about, he jogged back outside. "These are awesome,"

Jordan hummed in response, looking over to see Tom stand awkwardly at the entrance. "We'll have to move back a bit to get some more to spawn," he said, pulling the bow over his shoulder. He'd have to see what enchantments he could get for it when the time came.

Tom nodded in agreement and moved over to stand by Jordan as they waited in the space between the spawner and the animal farm. Only a minute or so had gone by, but he already felt himself grow impatient. "The waiting game, huh?" He muttered.

"Yeah, it's super fun," Jordan said, kicking a rock.

"Well I'm going to fish while we wait, then," Tom declared, walking off towards the house, but he paused shortly after he took off. He didn't have what he needed to make a rod, and he had lost his old one. "Do you have any string, by chance?"

"Oh, yeah, one second," Jordan responded, sifting through his bag to find the string that he had picked up earlier. Finding it, he pulled it out had handed it to the younger gamer.

"Damn greedy spiders didn't give me any," Tom said, taking the offered string. He quickly jogged over to the crafting table that he had set down next to the spawner and made the rod. " I might as well enchant this, too. I have nothing for my levels, anyway." He added.

Jordan rose a quizzical brow. "What are you at?" Did he really want to rid all of his levels on a measly fishing rod?

"Sixteen, now," Tom replied, running over to the enchantment area. He better get something good for this.

"Oh, I'd rather stay as close as I possibly can to thirty," he said, putting in his opinion. It wasn't his business, of course, but he'd have to listen to Tom complain about getting levels for his feather-falling later on.

"Yeah, well you're a bitch," Tom said, laughing to himself. It was a good idea, but he could care less. It wasn't like he couldn't get more levels if he needed them. Approaching the table, he laid the rod down, but was upset to find that no one had brought any lapis lazuli to the enchantment chests. Spotting Jordan walking over, he called out to him. "Hey, can you get me some lapis? No one brought any over."

Nodding, Jordan went into their house and checked the chests to the left of the doors, fishing the mineral out. Once acquired, he trotted back over to where Tom stood and tossed them to him.

Tom thanked him and went back inside, returning to his station at the table. He flipped open the book and placed his finger on the first second-calibre enchantment that he saw, finding that he had chosen a meager unbreaking II spell, and was now stuck with that fishing rod. "Damn," he said to himself. Two levels, wasted.

Jordan sat on the ground where he and Tom had been a few moments earlier and turned to see the younger gamer, rod in hand, coming his way. "What did you get on it?" He asked.

"Unbreaking II for a level two enchantment; bullshit," Tom answered, sitting next to Jordan on the ground.

"Nice, man," Jordan said, looking over to Tom now beside him. "You can catch all of the fish with that,"

"Ha, yeah, because it'll never break," Tom snorted, flipping the fishing rod over in his hands.

Jordan laughed and looked over into the spawner several years ahead of them. The moon was now well up in the sky behind them, and he could only barely see into the dark mob-manifester. As far as he could tell, nothing lurked in it's shadows for the mean time. "It's going to be a long night. Eight pearls?"

"Yeah, crazy," Tom said, fitting the rod into his bag. Looking up, he followed Jordan's gaze to the spawner and sighed. "But we'll manage, won't we? We may be all by our selves, but that doesn't mean that we can't kick ass."

Jordan hummed in agreement, letting a soft smile spread onto his face. It was just them. It was just them and just the pearls, just the skulls, just the dragon, just the wither, and just the end, just the beginning. Just the whole world, but they'd manage. They could do this, he thought as Tom laid friendly arm around his shoulder. They could do this.

* * *

**A/N: So this one was a bit longer than the first chapter, and hopefully that's okay. Took me a bit longer to write, too, which is Stupid because the ending still ended up a little sloppy. I'll fix it when I get a chance. Anyway, Happy New Year, and I hope those of you who have read this have enjoyed it so far. ****J**

**~ Update on day/episode 26 will come soon, don't worry. ~**


	3. Chapter Three: Day 26

**A/N: I'm so sorry that this update took forever! School started back up and I've been a little sick. Hopefully I'll get the next one out sooner. But anyway, I need some opinions. I don't exactly know what level to take the Tom/Jordan, and I was hoping that maybe a few people could just leave their ideas or recommendations in the reviews. As the author, I don't really think that this story will (or should) get to any lemon aspects, so no M rated naughtiness. I just can't really imagine that in this setting and story and I hope you guys can understand. But yeah, should I leave this to be mostly fluff, or should I let it progress a little further than companionable thoughts? And I just want to say that I am really thankful for the positive comments and such that I've been getting for this, it really means a lot. So yeah. Thanks, leave suggestions, and enjoy. **

* * *

"A few hours, he said. It'll be fun, he said," Tom pouted as he and Jordan strode into the house after their long night collecting pearls. It was well into the morning now, and even though they spent all of that time out battling mobs, Tom didn't feel an ounce of fatigue. If anything, he was the exact opposite; he was exuberant. Today could very well be the day that they take down the Ender Dragon. Although he felt completely unprepared, he was blithe with the idea that they were ready. They had the pearls, so they were one step closer to having the world.

"Oh come on, half of the time you were enchanting that stupid sword of yours," Jordan said, coming into the house after Tom. Shutting the door behind him, he gestured to the sword that Tom had in his sheath. While Jordan stayed by the Spawner to slay the Endermen that popped in amongst many other inimical creatures, Tom sprinted off with the XP that he had gotten and made a fancy new sword that he had named _The Krispy Knockback. _

Tom protectively grasped the hilt of his neoteric blade and shot Jordan an appalled look. "Don't call her that! And I was just trying to get looting, so technically I was still helping out the team," Tom said, unsheathing the sword and spinning it in his palms. It wasn't a bad enchantment; Sharpness II, Flame I, and Knockback I, and he kind of wanted to test it out. He hadn't really gotten to use it on any mobs since Jordan had taken care of most of them by the time he had the weapon enchanted and ready to go. But then again, there was always Jordan. "Hey, come here," Tom said, letting a mischievous grin spread across his face.

Jordan took a step back and reached behind him for the door, sensing Tom's intentions. Surely Tom wasn't going to do anything too rash, but he wanted to make sure that if his friend were to do something stupid, Jordan would have an escape plan. It was like that sometimes; Tom would pull a stunt and then they both found themselves at the mercy of the gods in the case of Mianite, but here on the island they had to rely on their wits and pure luck, which surprisingly was working out for them so far. But if Tom slips up and Jordan can't find the knob soon enough, only luck will be able to save him now. "Tom..."

Tom wasn't going to do anything, not anything too audacious, at least. Letting his smile widen across his features fully, Tom took a few small steps forward and pinned a startled Jordan up against the door that he had been gingerly drifting towards, lifting the tip of the blade to his Adam's apple. Tom truly had no malicious intentions other than to scare the guy a bit, maybe jostle the tense air from him. He noted that sometimes Jordan got so wrapped up in little things and details that the older gamer could grow reticent in short periods of time, and Tom sometimes had to drag him out of these small stupors with a little distraction or play. It was a good way to rid of extra energy, as well. Frightening your friends took lots of work.

Jordan could feel the cool metal underneath his pulsating skin, the few enchantments desperately trying to toy with him. He could sense the push of the Knockback and the heat of the flame, as well as the aciculated scratch from the sharpness all slowly etching into his skin. If he tried to struggle too much he was afraid that the tip might puncture him, and Tom had his forearm placed firmly on his chest restraining his movement anyway. "What are you doing, Tom?" Jordan asked, letting his head fall back to rest on the door, peering at his friend from the odd angle.

Withdrawing the weapon from his friend's throat, Tom laughed and flung himself backwards onto the beds, burying himself in the sheets and covers. "I don't really want to, but let's get this day started, shall we?" He asked, wrapping himself up in the tangle of blankets, peeking out at Jordan from the mess.

Jordan shyly rubbed at his neck and removed himself from his awkward sprawl on their entrance way, moving over to the crafting table. He pulled the Ender pearls out of his bag and laid them onto the table and reached out to sift through the alchemy chest in search of blaze powder, but was irritated to see that they had none left. "Damn. Tom, we need to go back to the Nether for some rods," he said, slamming the lid shut. They just got all of the pearls, but niether of them had thought to check on their powder supply?

Tom groaned and flopped out of his linen cocoon. "So that's what we'll do today?" He asked, sitting up and rubbing the back of his neck. In the back of his mind he was practically screaming for rest, but another part of him yearned to get out and do something. If it was to slay a couple blazemen, he'd do it. Maybe even gladly.

"Well, I guess. There's not really anything to do until we get the rods, anyway," Jordan said, getting his sword from the place it rested on top a chest and sheathed it. They could manage the blazemen, seeing as they weren't too much trouble. Perhaps they'd even come across some Wither skeletons, although without that looting sword, it wasn't really advantageous for them to kill any. "Are you ready to head out, then?" He asked, letting his hand rest on the hilt of his sword as he opened one of the doors for Tom.

Tom nodded and pulled himself out of the sanctuary of the beds and made his way out of the house, pausing quickly when he noticed a mannequin fashioned with a pumpkin head and chiseled-stone body under a massive snow-sprinkled spruce tree. Holding his hand out and looking around, he found that there was no evidence of any recent downfall, and it wasn't cold anyway. He was also fairly certain that they didn't even have any spruce, let alone a sapling. "Jordan, was this here earlier?" He called out to the older gamer who still lingered somewhere in the house.

Curious as to see what Tom was referring to, Jordan stepped outside. Tom stood a few yards away, looking at him with his arms held up to indicate that he was talking about the giant tree behind him. "No?" He answered in a confused tone; when had that gotten there? He moved to stand by Tom who now sauntered around underneath to investigate it closer, he assumed. Looking closer, he realized that there was a sign posted on the Trunk. "Did you read this?" He asked.

Tom, who was playing with the mannequin's lever-arms hadn't even noticed the wooden sign on the tree. He moved to stand by Jordan to read it aloud.

_Merry Christmas! _

_(It's not Christmas yet, _

_but we thought that you _

_might enjoy a tree.)_

_-Dec_

"That's thoughtful of them to give us this," Jordan said after Tom finished, looking up through the branches of their new Christmas tree. He had almost forgotten that it would be Christmas soon, considering that they had been on the island before Thanksgiving, even. He didn't mind missing out on the holidays; he found it quite nice, actually. He didn't really do much, anyway. Family and friends never really come over, so he often found himself alone on the holidays. He was content with that. He was thankful enough that he got to spend Thanksgiving with the four of his friends. Even now with just the two of them, he was happy that he got to be with Tom on Christmas. Assuming that they both lasted until then, that is.

Tom followed his friend's gaze up into the tree, then followed it back down once he realized that Jordan was simply in thought again. He too was happy to spend Christmas with the other gamer, even though unlike him, Tom could be very popular around the holidays. His family wanted to see the new house, friends wanted to stop by, etc. But Tom was a bit relieved to have a bit of time off from everyone and everything. Travel and socializing never really seemed to end out in reality, and a break to this wondrous fantasy of a game with Jordan was refreshing. Just him and Jordan; and he was content with that.

Jordan brought his gaze back down to the sign, and out of his peripheral vision notice another sign towards the base of the tree that read:

_You do know that there_

_are three Elder guardians _

_per temple, right? You aren't _

_quite done yet. Avenge me!_

_-Sonja :)_

Jordan lifted and hand over his face to smack himself lightly as he felt a wave of annoyance and shock wash over him after he read the sign. He did the one point eight videos, how could he not have remembered that there were three? It certainly explains how they were affected with mining fatigue even after they had killed two of the elders. "Tom," he said, sliding his hand to cover his mouth in a sign of agitation.

"Fuck," he responded, letting himself slump to the ground. Tom was still watching Jordan when the other gamer had noticed the sign, so he had already read it by the time he called out to him. They had to kill another one? They had to go back? It was so far away, so daunting. Making the potions was a waste of materials, as well. He was sure that the ocean was going to run out of puffer fish by the time that they left the island. "Do we have to?" He whined, looking up at Jordan.

"She said that she wants us to "avenger her", so I'd say yeah," he replied, turning to face the other gamer on the ground, placing his hands on his hips. "Should we do that first? We have enough left over resources to go over there real quick,"

Tom nodded and reached up to bite his thumb, looking over to the sea. "If you want to go get the stuff, I'll wait here," he said as Jordan trotted of into the house. "And you'll need to make another boat," he added when he only spotted one drifting around by the shore.

Jordan noted Tom's words and decided that he'd get that boat going first. It was odd, crafting. You didn't really have to do much except for get the materials and move them around a bit for some things, like boats. But other things like torches and bowls required a little more work. Luckily it was the little things that had to be harder to make. Jordan didn't know what he would do if he had to actually make a sword by hand, let alone boat. But the table did as it does and fashioned him a small vessel that he placed onto the floor so that he could work on finding the potions that they needed. Quickly, he grabbed six water breathing and Sonja's old regeneration potions for good measure and ran out of the door, dragging the contents in his boat. Reaching Tom at the edge of the farm closest to the water and single afloat boat, he pulled half of the potions out and handed them to Tom, and then put the remaining into his own bag.

Tom smiled as he accepted his potions and clambered into his boat, looking off in the direction of the temple. "Let's do this."

* * *

Jordan gasped as he jumped out of his boat and into the water, swimming towards the stone bridge where an impatient Tom already stood upon. He climbed onto the structure and sat, letting himself catch his own breath. Why did the water have to be so goddamn cold?

"What took you so long?" Tom asked, biting his lip as he looked down at his friend. He knew Jordan was trailing close behind, but when he checked behind him, the other gamer was nowhere to be seen.

Jordan stood up and rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding Tom's questioning gaze by letting his own drift back down to the water. "I, uh," he said, looking back at Tom with slightly pinker features. "I ran into a squid while I was thinking of this cop-thing," he let out a short chuckle at the ludicracy of it. It really was stupid.

Tom just sighed and brought his hand up to cover his eyes. _What in the actual fuck? _"Jordan, hon, why?" He asked, letting a laugh slip past his lips.

"I don't know," Jordan answered, shaking his head while he tried to suppress another laugh. He didn't even know where the thought came from, exactly. When they had left, Tom said something about a cop and Jordan's imagination took hold. He could get like that sometimes; think on a thought until it warps around his mind for a moment or so, eluding him away from the present and into the oddity that was his own mind. Unlike Tom, who just does stupid things, Jordan fabricates them. Not exactly the type of thing that one would do, but just an odd bit of fantasy; like Minecraft-cops.

Tom shook his head as well, letting himself dismiss the odd thoughts emitted from his friend. He turned to look upon the water and it's contents, seeing a few guardians dwelling below the murky surface. He didn't mind going back into the temple, or just not as much as he should have. It was more annoying than troubling, in his eyes. Sure Sonja died here, and Jordan almost did, but that didn't bother him. They had business and they were going to take care of it. They were going to avenge the death that took place in the walls, and then they were going to leave them without turning back. "So what aren't we going to do?" He asked, but quickly answered his own question before Jordan could answer it. "Die. We are _not_ going to die,"

Jordan nodded and followed Tom as he led him to the edge of the platform at the end of the bridge, both of them taking out their water breathing potions. It was time to delve back into the ocean and risk their lives for the sake of one already lost, and the previous time they ventured here, he almost became the second one forsaken. He was a little frightened of having to return, especially once he had gotten it into his mind that they were done and didn't have to come back, and that they could leave this disconsolate palace in the vaults of their memory. It made him a bit anxious and uneasy just looking down at it from the surface. But he could do this; he will quell his unreasonable fear and avenge Sonja. He will do this for her.

Tom turned to smile at Jordan as he stepped off of the stone space and into the water, submerging himself in the icy duress of the sea. He fought the ocean current that pulled at his body, clawing his way through the water while trying to avoid the many guardians that polluted the area. He heaved himself through the opening into the temple, swiping at a few of the disfigured fish that approached him. Looking behind him, he saw a perturbed Sparklez swing at a few, slowly losing composure. "Jordan!" Tom worriedly yelled through the water, trying to make his way back up to his friend who was now retreating to the surface.

As soon as the water engulfed his heels, Jordan felt panic surge through his entire being. Tom had rocketed off into the temple, leaving him behind to fend off several of the unhappy guardians lurking about. He was getting hit by a few at a time, and he could feel himself losing control. They were all around and they were zapping him, and suddenly he felt as though he couldn't breathe, even though he had the potion in effect. He started to become aware of an searing ache throughout his body, and he knew that he needed to get out of there as soon as he could.

Tom broke the surface of the water and climbed up to the bridge, watching as Jordan paced back and forth on top of it, sopping with seawater. "You okay?" He asked when his friend noticed him. He knew that Jordan was a little shaken from the previous times that they had been here, but he didn't think that it traumatized him this badly.

Jordan nodded and stopped, facing Tom who had apparently followed him back up. "Um, yeah. I just would feel better if I had an eight-minute Strength I potion to do this, because now it takes several hits to take them down, and with strength it only took one hit," Jordan said, straightening out his features for Tom; he needed to regain composure. And it wasn't like he was lying; he would feel infinitely more secure with the potion. Yes, this was it. He needed the potion. "How about you explore the temple, and I'll run back real quick to make the potion?"

Tom could see what Jordan meant, it _was_ a lot easier to kill the guardians with the strength I potions, as he had learned from experience. And maybe it could help the guy loosen up if he knew that he had extra protection. Yeah, maybe it wasn't that bad of an idea. But Tom wasn't too thrilled with them splitting up, even if he were just a trip away. "Wait, but we don't have any blaze powder to make the Eyes, let alone a strength potion," he said, remembering their lack of supplies.

Jordan sighed and grabbed at his chin. That was right; they didn't have any powder to make either of the things they needed at the moment. "What if I go into the Nether and get enough rods for both and you search the Temple for the Elder Guardian?" He proposed, "That way we can do the two things at once,"

Tom shifted his weight onto one foot and propped a hand on his hip, his other hand falling on the hilt of his sword that poked out of the sheath. The plan was strategically sound, but he still didn't like the idea of both of them being in hazardous places without the other for safety. His gut squirmed with the thought of Jordan being in peril in the fiery dimension while he himself was exploring the depths of the temple, also in risk of danger. But he had enough trust in the both of them; they could do this without getting killed. "What should I do when I find him?" He asked.

Jordan smiled, "Just come back. By the time you manage to scour the temple, I should probably be done. Maybe, I don't know. Just go back to the house," This was good thinking on his part; now they could get their day sorted out and accomplished more efficiently. "I'll be off, then," he said, turning to go to his boat.

Tom quickly lunged and grasped Jordan's hand, halting the other in his tracks. He didn't really know why he did, perhaps impulse. His heart was beating at a faster pace as little bits of worry poked at him, urging him to usher a few more words to his friend. This may or may not be the last time for him to see Jordan, considering the menacing realm he was going to venture alone shortly. He had more faith in him, of course, but he couldn't help but let the small fragments of worry seep in a tad. "Just, be safe, okay?" He said, giving Jordan's hand a slight squeeze before he let go. The other gamer nodded and Tom watched as he got into his boat and sailed out of sight, leaving him to explore the immense temple by himself. "Just be safe,"

* * *

Jordan stumbled as he was spat out of the portal, landing on his hands and knees in the oddly-textured red rock. The portal was always a little harsh with the transportation between dimensions, tossing the traveler about ruthlessly. Standing up, he brushed some dirt off of him and turned to look out over the landscape, seeing nothing but various shades of red, as that was what the Nether consisted of. He sighed and moved to go down the path that he and the others engineered days ago, setting out to follow the torches and various sets of stairs that lead to the Nether Fortress. Reaching the bottom of the stairs and the ground platform, he took out his sword and gripped it tightly, all while making sure his bow was securely on his back and in reach. He needed to be ready for ghasts and pigmen, even though those were unlikely to approach him with much thought. Still, any wrong move and his life could be compromised. That's just how it was, and Jordan would have to brace those dangers as he traversed the long path to the fortress.

Tom slowly made his way through the dark corridors of the water palace, proceeding with caution. He had enough potions to last him a while down here, so pace wasn't exactly a concern. The constant current and movement left his body aching, so breaks were taken frequently. He was thankful that Jordan took the extra time to lengthen the duration of the potions, because if he hadn't, Tom would have had to go back to the house already. Judging by the amount of the pots he had drank, he would guess that it had been a good half-hour into the hunt, which means that Jordan was probably at the fortress by now, maybe even getting the much-needed rods. But then here he was, drifting through the winding halls of the temple not finding a single thing.

He was beginning to get tempted to just kill the Elder on sight because of the irritation this quest was causing him, but he knew that Jordan would be mad if he wasn't there to finish the task of friend-avenging. Tom would feel guilty if he were to disappoint the older gamer like that. But that brought him to the question of why it would bother him at all, in the first place. If it was Tucker or Nade that he would disenchant, he wouldn't feel an ounce of regret, but this is Jordan. Why does he have to be different than the rest? Perhaps it was the guilt that he already felt for scaring him the previous day. Yes, that must have been it. It's just that Tom already felt bad, not that Jordan was held at a different standard. Or was it?

Jordan slouched against the stone wall near the front entrance of the Fortress, crossing his fingers that the ghast chasing him had forgotten he was there and left, which would mean that he could subsequently go into the sanctuary. Turning around, Jordan peeked over the top of the wall, and was glad to see that the giant abhorrent creature had flown elsewhere. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and hurriedly ran inside of the cave of netherrack and bolted down the small staircase into the first hall of the fortress, watching as a small magma cube bounced around in the distance. Letting his hands rest on his knees, he doubled over and rested, panting as he did so. After a good while, he finally made it here. Pushing himself back up, he unsheathed his sword and edged close to the wall where he could hear and feel the sultry mob floating about. Not only did blazemen shoot fire, but they radiated an intense heat that could char your finger at the lightest touch, and Jordan had learned that the hard way. He made his way along the wall and heaved himself up to the walkway beside the chamber of the spawner, trying to find the small opening that leads into the space, which wasn't hard, as there was a blast of fire that was expelled from it. Gripping his sword tightly, he crouched down and moved slowly towards the hole, getting ready to strike at anything by the opening. Straightening out, he drove his sword up into the opening, slicing a few of the fire creatures. But he soon realized his mistake as a searing pain ignited as he was scorched by a hidden blazeman a few feet away. The pain was tender and alarming, boring it's way into his senses even before he knew that he had been blasted. Losing his footing, Jordan gasped and stumbled back, falling into the lumpish rock. _Well, this is going to be fun. _

Groaning in vexation, Tom took out his milk and gulped it down, alleviating the ache in his taut arm while his lungs began to strain. Quickly, he brought the water breathing potion to his lips and drank that, as well. Soon his lungs started to loosen and he sighed in relief. Fifteen or so minutes had passed and he still had no inkling to where the Elder Guardian was a at, and a part of him started to question if there really was a third one. Were they being trolled? It was possible that Sonja had just sent them on this wild hunt just for her amusement. Or maybe he wasn't on the right floor, and the guardian was down a level. That could be it. Taking out his pickaxe, Tom mined through the floor and let himself sink through the hole, finding nothing but the underneath of the temple. Sighing, he swam back up and turned to one of the inside walls, mining through that, as well. It had to be somewhere around here, somewhere in these walls. Breaking through, he came into a space he and Jordan had once been in, and he made his way over to the next wall to tear it down. As he entered the next room, he met a few guardians who greeted him with their beams. Cursing, Tom switched his pickaxe for his sword and swiped at the perpetrators, turning them into dusty bubbles that popped as they drifted up to the ceiling. Tom reached for his pick axe again but felt his muscles tense in protest. Damn; He had been fatigued again. He moved to stand behind a pillar as he sifted through his bag in search for that other vial of milk along with another breathing potion. Pulling out the items, he realized that he only had two breathing pots left, counting the one he was about to drink. He'd have to hurry up if he didn't want to drown.

Jordan dropped himself down through the whole, rods in hand. After he had been hit by the blazeman he had decided that it would just be easier to enter the spawner-room instead of poking his head out everyone in a while. And he had to say that it was way more effective, seeing that he got several rods in just a few minutes. They had enough for the Ender pearls and a few extra for the strength potions. Smiling, he put them into his bag and climbed out to the main Fortress hall. He was ready to go up to the overworld, even if that meant that he and Tom had to renter the accursed temple and slay that last stupid Elder Guardian. That is if Tom has found it yet, but it couldn't be that hard to find a giant fish-creature, could it?

Tom concluded that it was hard finding giant fish-creatures. He only had a few minutes left on his last water breathing potion and he still had no idea of where the Elder Guardian could be. He had searched everywhere imaginable, yet it was nowhere to be found. Although he had stumbled across what he believed to be another stash of gold, if he could be able to mine through the structure, perhaps they could get more gold for god-apples. Luckily he could feel his arm muscles loosening, signaling that his fatigue was wearing off, and he had but a few seconds until it did. Getting ready, he brought his pickaxe up to the rock and prepared to bring it down, but he yelped as he did so. Dropping the axe altogether, he cursed as his arm pulsated with tense pain. How were they able to do that? Instantly after the spell was about to wear off, another took its place. There wasn't even a guardian around! Infuriated, Tom picked up his pickaxe in his opposite hand and switched it out for his sword. It was time for him to get out of here.

Jordan took his time on his way back to the portal, as he was in no rush to get back to the overworld. Then again, Tom was probably up at the house waiting for him. Maybe he was even worried about him. Jordan shook his head at the thought. Tom, worried about him? No, that was ridiculous. Tom wasn't one to get too worked up over slight tardiness. He was occasionally reasonable, and he could probably understand if Jordan were a little late. And even then, If he were judging time correctly, they still had a few hours until sundown; plenty of time to go and kill the Elder guardian. They'd be perfectly fine, and he could enjoy his walk through hell.

Tom paced the in the house, checking out the door every few seconds. Thankfully, just as he was rushing out of the temple as his water breathing pot was wearing off, he had spotted the Elder guardian's tail sticking out from a whole at the top of the palace. But where was Jordan? _He said that he'd be back by the time I got here... _Tom thought, moving to prop himself on the door frame. Jordan's journey was a lot longer than his, but surely it wasn't _this_ long. He had gotten back with enough time to make new water breathing pots (which took a while, considering that he had no idea what he was doing,) as well as check the spawner for any mobs of interest. Perhaps he was in trouble? Had he hit a pigman, or maybe fallen in lava? It was unlikely, but not impossible. He'd have to just wait a few more minutes. Yes, just a few more. Then he'd go and look for him.

Jordan stumbled out of the portal, nearly tripping like he had the last time. Finally, he was back in the overworld, and as he had predicted, the sun was still well into the sky. Smiling, he led himself off of the long bridge to the main island, watching as a spry Tom darted towards him. "Hi," he said, addressing the younger gamer.

Tom grinned as he saw his friend get spat out of the swirling purple mist in the distance, and subconsciously began running towards him. "Took you long enough," Tom called out as he heard the older gamer greet him.

"Yeah, it took me some time to get back," Jordan replied, stopping when Tom reached him. It looked as though he had been waiting a while, seeing as most of the seawater had dried from his clothes. He also wore a bit of an appeased expression, as though he were more blithe than annoyed with Jordan's delay.

Tom slid his arm around Jordan's shoulder, leading him back into the house. "Excuses! We have to avenge the death of our dear friend, and here you are, prancing about in the nether making flower crowns for all of the pigmen!" Tom exaggerated, ruffling Jordan's hair. His heart had picked up pace ever since they separated, and now that Jordan was with him he began to relax once again. It was an odd recognition; to be aware of this comfort that he felt with the other gamer. It hadn't even been that long since it had just been the two of them, as it was just the other day that it had been three of them. What was this ease and where did it come from?

"Whatever you say, Tom," Jordan said with a roll of the eyes. He didn't reciprocate the friendly embrace, but he acknowledged it by leaning into the younger gamer's hold. Tom had this peculiar way of making him feel safe, most likely derived from the amount of hugs he gave out. The guy was very touchy, which Jordan wasn't exactly keen with himself, but he found himself enjoying Tom's openness and welcoming arms. Peculiar indeed.

Tom smiled as he felt Jordan practically nuzzle into him. Looks as though he wasn't the only one who was content with the other's company, after all. "As much as I want to do it, I think you should," he said, letting Jordan go to guide him through the door.

"Do what? Kill the Elder guardian?" Jordan asked, moving away from Tom to grab some Beef out of the food chest. Was Tom really going to give up this opportunity to avenge Sonja and give comeuppance to the damned fish-creatures? If that was the case, Jordan was a it surprised.

Tom turned to Jordan and grinned, "Oh yeah, but with a wooden sword and leather armor." He said, leaning against the wall of furnaces. "And besides, you'll have the Notch apple and your precious strength potions, so you'll be fine," he added with a wave of his hand, dismissing the appalled expression on the other gamer's face.

Jordan stood by the chest with his mouth slightly agape. "You think I should do it," he said, raising a finger to point at Tom testily, "With a wooden sword and leather armor," he repeated Tom's words accusingly, as to convey the audacity in them.

Tom shrugged, "If you're going to be a little bitch, I'll do it!" he claimed. He looked back over to Jordan with mischievous gleam in his eyes. "But I still think that you should do it, since you let her die,"

Spitting out a laugh, Jordan slapped Tom with his steak and moved past him to fiddle in the alchemy chest, preparing to make the Ender eyes and the strength potion. "Wow, ok," he said pulling out the blaze rods, converting them to powder. "Way to take this to a place it didn't need to go,"

Tom laughed as well and moved over to pat Jordan on the back as he removed the water-breathing potions from the stand. "No, no. I'm not going to do that, because I actually want you in the series," he said with an awkward chuckle. He would never actually force Jordan to go through with such a suicidal act, as that was what it was; suicide.

Jordan muttered in agreement as he combined the remaining Ender pearls with the blaze powder, finishing off their supply of Ender eyes. "We now have what we need to go to the End," he commented with a clap of his hands. Finally, they were able to complete the portal.

"Seriously? Does that mean that we can go to the End tomorrow?" Tom asked, moving to the crafting table to fashion a new boat.

"Well, yeah," Jordan answered. If they had the portal up and ready, they could go in and slay the dragon and be done with it.

Tom rubbed his face as he remembered his stubbornness when it came to the End. "But I need my boots and the extra pearl," he whined. If he were to fall off of those giant pillars, he would be a complete goner. He's suffered greatly from being unprepared for the End, and he did not want to take the same imprudent risks. Not only could these careless omissions cause him his death, but ultimately it could endanger the sake of the team, as well. What if Tom dies, and Jordan is left to defeat the dragon all by his lonesome? He didn't want to put that kind of pressure on the other gamer, even if he knew that the other could handle it. What if this, what if that; it's just a bunch of 'what ifs' flying through his mind that he wanted to eliminate.

"If you really want the boots, we can switch," Jordan said, clicking his heels. He grabbed the blaze powder and hesitated near the potion stand. He wouldn't really need the strength I pot if they were just going to pop in and out, that is if Tom knew exactly where the Elder guardian was. The Strength II potion should be just fine. "And why would you need the extra Ender pearl?"

Tom moved to the door, holding his new vessel in his hand. "Well, if we spawn in on an island, I want a way to get over to the main platform," he stated, as if it were obvious information. "I've had to kill myself in hardcore because I didn't have a pearl to go over to the main thing," he added.

Jordan shook his head as he put the blaze powder and glass bottles into their place in the alchemy chest. "It's not like that anymore, we spawn inside the island. You won't need the pearl," Jordan affirmed. Was Tom that out of date with it or..?

"That's not always the truth," Tom said, going out the door with his newly-made boat. He walked over to their farm and put the vessel into the water, trampling some wheat in the process. Sure Jordan probably knew what he was talking about, but he didn't want to make any assumptions. If they did happen to spawn in on a floating island, he wanted to be sure that he could do something else other than putter about uselessly.

"I'm just telling you, it's been a long time since I've seen any far away platforms," Jordan expressed, following Tom outside, abandoning the effort of the Strength potions. It was time that they just got this over with.

"Whatever," Tom muttered, climbing into his boat. "Let's go and kick his dick off!" He called out to Jordan, who ambled around the house, seemingly confused. "Let's get him right in the nipples!"

Jordan nodded and went over to the shore, looking out for another boat. Of course, it was a few yards out into the water. Moments when he had to tread through the sea like this, he was really glad that sharks were not a part of vanilla Minecraft. "Alright, man," he answered, lowering himself into the water as he began to swim out to retrieve the wayward rowboat. "I'm on my way."

"Let's go avenge Sonja,"

* * *

"You named the Elder guardian 'Jeff'?" Jordan asked as he stepped out of his boat, watching as Tom drove his right into the bridge, sinking it in the process. What was Tom doing in the Temple while he was in the Nether? Having a cup of tea with the guardians?

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" He replied testily, pulling himself out of the water. He heard Jordan mumble a response as he started to run down the bridge, getting zapped by several guardians as he did so. He yelped as he fell into the water after being blasted by a particularly hefty blow, his flailing limbs sending water everywhere. Pulling himself back up to the bridge, he coughed up water and called out to Jordan. "Maybe this wasn't the best defensive structure,"

Jordan laughed as he helped pull Tom up, who was soon hit again by the guardians. "They're just targeting you, huh?" He said as the younger gamer got to his feet. It's been a while since Jordan had seen the creatures so aggressive, probably not since they had taken Sonja down.

Tom patted Jordan on the back and thanked him for the hand. Moving past him, he crouched down and began building out towards the temple, trying to get closer to the tip. When he ran out of blocks, he stood up and walked back to his friend. "Here, finish that off if you've got any blocks on you,"

Jordan nodded and took out his wooden planks, jogging over to the end of Tom's small edifice to complete it. Looking into the water, he saw a flash of grey and brown go past a small opening in the wall of the palace. "Is that him at the top?" He asked, looking back at Tom. The regular guardians were all turquoise and orange, so that must have been the elder.

"Yeah, right there," Tom said, coming up behind Jordan. He pointed out in the direction to where the elder was visible, placing a hand on his friend's back. It was exactly where he had seen it when he was over here earlier. He only wished that he had noticed before he had explored every nook and cranny of the temple. "You can see his forehead peaking out,"

Jordan leaned closer to the water to try and get a better look, but he didn't really need to. Focusing, he was able to clearly see the giant creature sticking out of the temple. "Oh, wow, yeah, that's him," he said, turning to see Tom getting attacked by another of the fish-creatures. He laughed as his friend ran off, cursing at his assailant. But soon he too was running, as another one had targeted him, and soon he was fatigued. "Damn these stupid things," he said as he ran to stand by Tom at the juncture of where the bridges met.

Tom took out his milk, as he had been struck with mining fatigue, as well. "Jordan, watch out!" He called to the other, as his friend was being attacked again. He helped pull Jordan back out of the water, hearing him mutter a few words in thanks. "We need to get going or else we'll just get smacked around all day,"

Jordan sputtered and coughed as he stood up, nodding in agreement with Tom. They weren't really getting much done except for letting themselves get hurt while they remained up on the bridge. He followed Tom as he sprinted down the bridge, chugging down his milk as the other did so, too. He watched as his friend cannonballed into the water and swam down, coming back up after a few seconds.

"I mined a whole so we can get in, but I need to drink my water breathing and strength," he said, grabbing onto the bridge as he pulled out the potions and drank them, feeling his lungs and arms lighten as he sat adrift in the water. He looked up at Jordan who was drinking his own potions and grinned. "TIEM REESTER!"

Choking on the last few drops of his potion, Jordan quickly stuffed the bottle into his bag and followed Tom down into the water, pushing his way through the dark ocean. He watched as Tom flung his arms about, sword in hand, at the Elder guardian who lurked by the opening. "Hey, let me get in," he called, as Tom was blocking the way in.

Tom heard Jordan say something behind him, so he took one last swipe and turned around. "Yeah, one sec," he said, but when he turned back to face his traducer, there was no Elder Guardian to face.

"Oh, well, okay," Jordan said, swimming into the dwelling of the now deceased fish-monster. He was dumbfounded that the creature had been that easy to kill. What had that taken a whopping three strikes from Tom? "I was like, 'Can I get a moment of glory?' But I guess not," he said, swinging at the few guardians that were staying with the Elder. "I wanted to feel like I was part of that," he added dramatically.

Tom scratched the back of his neck as he floated through the room, letting Jordan take out the remaining guardians that lurked about. _Oops_, he thought. He laughed as he let himself sink down into a lower floor of the temple, watching as Jordan followed in suit. "Dude, that's how I felt about the first fight, so shut up you little bitch!" He said as he explored the few rooms below. "Yeah, let's turn this around on you! I wanted to be involved in that first fight, but no, 'my name is Jordan...'"

"It's okay, we're onto the Ender Dragon now, and that'll be a team effort no matter what," Jordan alleged, moving to collect some XP that fell down onto the floor. Twenty-six days in, and one mob down. As grim as it sounded, things were actually going pretty well, except for the fact that half of the team had been decamped. Other than that, things were servile. He and Tom got along exceedingly well, more so than he had imagined. Perhaps it was the fact that they were so opposite that it worked; they were an optimal Ying-Yang. Jordan shook his head at the thought. What was he thinking? Tom was his friend, not his 'other half'.

Tom nodded, leaving Jordan in the rooms to go outside of the Temple and renter through the main entrance. He wanted to see if he could find where he suspected to be more gold, and if he remembered correctly, it wasn't too far away from the preeminent lobby. Weaving through the halls and irate guardians, Tom searched for the room containing the thick pillar. Finding it, the quickly swam to it and took out his pickaxe, subconsciously cheering for the lack of fatigue this round. Mining through a few blocks, he was disappointed to see that no gold blocks were tucked away in the turquoise rock. Sighing, he left the all love and headed back to meet up with Jordan.

Turning to see why Tom hadn't replied, Jordan found that the younger gamer had left area. He smiled as he recalled that Tom had mentioned another possible supply of gold, and assumed that he had gone off to fetch that. With him gone, now would be the perfect time for Jordan to enact a bit of revenge for the prank that he had so easily fallen for the previous day. He wasn't just going to let Tom get away with humiliating him so easily. No, he'd have a taste of his own medicine. Jordan was determined.

"I was wrong; there wasn't any more gold," Tom called out to his friend, bested. He came through the hole in the wall that he had decimated, looking about the Elder guardian's old chamber, expecting to see Jordan. He contorted his face in that of confusion, swimming in further to inspect the area. Looking down through the opening in the floor, he saw a shine emitted from what had to be a piece of armor on the very bottom floor. Puzzled, he dove down further in, and his heart skipped a beat as his eyes rested on the source. Jordan lay adrift in the water, unmoving except for the current that pushed his body effortlessly. He panicked for a slight moment, but then his better consciousness took hold of him. This was Jordan, fully-capable, astute, sagacious Jordan. There was no way that he let himself drown like this. He let an amused smirk crawl onto his lips as he approached the older gamer, "Yeah, sorry, nice try," he said as he pulled on his leg, driving Jordan up with him as he sped up to the top chamber.

Jordan laughed as he was dragged upward. "Am I really that pitiful?" He asked as Tom reached the top, releasing him. He straightened himself up and watched as the other gamer shoot him a scowl, confirming his suspicion. "Oh boy," he said, letting out a sigh in defeat.

Tom grabbed Jordan's wrist as he led him out of the opening and into the spacious ocean, heading for their bridge. "Worst attempt to troll, ever," he said, shaking his head. He breached the surface and pulled his friend up beside him, sitting on top of the bridge. "Did you really think that you were going to get me?" He asked, completely flabbergasted that Jordan had even attempted to get him with his own trick.

"Damn," Jordan expressed, upset that he had failed so miserably. It was probably a bad idea to try and get back at him so soon, as it was a bit of a giveaway. He brought his hands up to his face and rubbed it, getting the water off while showing his defeat more clearly. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and looked to see Tom looking at him sympathetically. "Screw you,"

Tom pulled his hand away and shot him an exaggerated expression of offense. "Oh come on, you were messing with a professional!" He said, letting his face lax while giving Jordan a slight shove. It was funny to see him so flustered.

Jordan shook his head and got up from his sitting position on the bridge and walked away. "I'm leaving," He strode to his boat that floated near the platform, hearing Tom as he called out to him.

"Jar-dan! Don't leave me!" Tom yelled as he scrambled up and ran after his friend. This was quite amusing; watching Jordan so bewildered and embarrassed. It was like yesterday when he had pranced him, but only more effervescent and placid. Tom decided that he liked this view of Jordan, and he'd try to expose it more often. It was just so, what, adorable? Yes, adorable.

"Hurry up, then," Jordan said over his shoulder, listening as Tom came up behind him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. His abashed expression resulted in a malicious grin from the younger gamer, and Jordan felt his cheeks turn even redder. How was Tom so good at being illusory and impish? He almost envied him for it.

"Can we go home now?" Tom asked, trying not to trip over his feet as he leaned on the shorter gamer. It had been an exhausting day of swimming and fighting, and they hadn't any rest from the night before. All that separated him from his bed was an ocean, and he was willing to cross if that meant he got to experience the bliss that was sleep.

Jordan stopped as he reached the platform, grabbing Tom's arms and detaching them from his neck. "Well, yeah, unless if there's anything you'd like to do now," He said, bending down to grab his boat and pull it close.

Tom groaned as he pulled out an extra boat from his bag, placing it in the water to let it expand to natural size. Was he being serious? "No way," let's get out of here," he said, throwing himself into the vessel.

"Alright, then," Jordan said, climbing into his own boat. "Let's go home,"

* * *

**A/N: This was a little bit shorter than the other chapters and a bit harder to write. And again, I'm so sorry that the update took forever. I'll try harder to get the next up sometime sooner. And don't forget to leave your suggestions for the amount of Syndisparklez-ness in the reviews, or maybe message me. (Preferably as a review, though. I don't really have the messaging stuff down, yet.) But yeah. Have a nice day. :) **


	4. Chapter Four: Day 27

**A/N: Again, I am so sorry that this took forever! My computer was being goofy for the past several days, and I wasn't able to go in and upload this chapter. I feel bad. :( But hopefully you guys enjoy this update! Yer boi. -See the end for a few more notes-**

* * *

"You know, twenty-seven is three away from ten-times the day number that Tucker died," Tom said, propping his feet up on the table of the patio set outside of the house. The morning air was crisp and fresh and the sun was a warm beacon in the sky, inviting them to enjoy breakfast outdoors on their twenty-seventh day on the island.

"It is," Jordan replied, giving Tom's feet a slight push to the side as to get them away from his rabbit stew. "And double that amount will get us to eleven times from when he died, and it'll also be ten days after Sonja was killed," he commented back.

Tom did the math in his head while he chewed on his steak. "Will it really be that long since she died?" He asked, a bit perplexed. True, that was six days from now, but it felt so close yet so far away, as did her death. He could still remember the days that she was with them with a strong clarity, but with the recent occurences, Sonja couldn't be further from his mind. He had gotten so accustomed to it just being him and Joedan on the island that he had almost completely forgotten about their deceased friends in the past few hours.

Jordan nodded, as it had only been four days or so since she had been attacked by the guardians. The time and potions eased the sting of guilt from her death, but he still felt a bit of soreness when he thought of their dear friend. It's not that he felt that it was his fault or anything, he simply felt bad that she had to die so terribly. At least Tucker had gone quickly. But then there was Tom who remained with him, his sole friend who was left to accompany him. It wasn't even "accompanying" anymore, more of amalgamation; they were an integral pair now. "Yeah, it was four days ago," he replied, pushing a clump of rabbit meat around the edges of his bowl with his spoon.

"Huh," Tom said, pulling his feet from the table to tuck them underneath. Standing up from his chair he slid out from the table and let himself fall onto the grass. He patted his earthy cushion and dug his fingers into the ground, playing with the soil beneath him. It was often in the mornings when he would take a minute and appreciate his surroundings, as he was usually too busy during the day and too exhausted after it to take notice of the warm, subtle breeze or the brazen magnificence that the sky casted. Now he took the time to feel the cool grass and the soft dirt that he normally wouldn't pay attention to in the real world, but here he almost cherished. This world was so much more vivid and coherent than that of which he came; so much more valuable than a world wrought with burdensome people and problems.

Jordan watched as Tom floundered about on the grass and laughed quietly to himself. He too appreciated the atmosphere of this false reality, but he didn't need to throw himself at the earth like an idiot to do so. "Do you think that we'll be ready for the end today? I have to make some potions yet, but will you be ready?" He prodded, as it really was time for them to start on the next set of tasks.

Tom shook his head, "I just need that one Ender pearl for assurance," Even if Jordan was right about the floating island, he'd still want to have the pearl incase if anything got out of hand, although it was unlikely that anything would. Yet Tom couldn't fight the little iotas of apprehension that snuck their way into the back of his mind, as it was very possible that something could go awry. He wasn't going to let himself go into the anagogic without some sort of aide.

"That's it?" Jordan asked; he was surprised and a bit relieved at other's response. If that was all that Tom needed, then they could possibly go to the End today. If, that is, they could find another one of those pesky Endermen. He was sure that their little escapade the other night had nearly depleted the area's population of the dark creatures. But another thing tickled the back of his mind. Wasn't there another thing that Tom had been complaining about? "Oh, so you no longer need the feather-falling boots?" He asked, once he pinpointed the item.

"Oh yeah, there's that, too," Tom said, looking up Jordan. He thought that he had forgotten something, but he didn't quite know what it had been that had slipped his thoughts. He nodded as it came back to him fully; yes, he'd need the boots, as well. If he were to climb the huge spires, then he would want to make sure that he would face certain death if he were to plunge off of the structure.

Jordan shook his head and brought his hands up to his face. "Why did I even say anything?" He asked, more to himself. Neither of them had the levels for feather-falling IV boots, and even if they did, it would take eternity for them to actually get the enchantment to show up in the book, meaning that it would be even longer until they would see the End.

Tom laughed as he watched Jordan groan with vexation. He could understand the other's frustration, as he was sure that his pesky paraphernalia was irritating enough. He let his eyes unfocus, and he found himself staring past his frustrated friend to the direction of the sea and dolorous temple. With all of the enchantments that they had gotten or needed, they never once received the one that could make you speedily tread through water. "It's odd that we never got depth strider," he mentioned. It's a shame that they never got it, as the enchantment could have really been useful, and perhaps if Sonja had it she would be here with them now. But _could have been_ was the idea, as it was of no use to them now. At least, that's what Tom figured.

"We don't exactly need them, now," Jordan replied, thinking about the boots that they lacked. Like Tom, he agreed that they could have been a big asset to their adventures over the course of the last few days. But they weren't going to need them in the End, unless if notch added a water park to the dimension, and even then, Endermen don't like water. Jordan dismissed the odd thought with a shake of his head.

"Yo, I'm not going to the End until I have those depth-strider booties," Tom said with a silly voice, standing up from his place on the ground. He pushed on his back until he heard a satisfying crack and then moved in an ellipse around Jordan, orbiting the table as he tried to get his blood flowing throughout his body once again.

Jordan laughed and situated himself so he could watch Tom as he went about the patio furniture. "Oh yeah, because you'll really need to swim in that air," Jordan replied, going along with Tom's fantasy.

"Yeah, man. I need that depth strider," Tom said, jumping up in the air while making breaststroke motions with his hands as to show that he were swimming in the air. "No, but really all I need is that feather-falling IV," he added, stopping his charade to plop back down into the chair across from Jordan.

Jordan nodded and kicked at Tom's feet under the table, earning an outcry from the younger gamer. Neither of them had any of their armored boots on, and so it turned into an unplated war of the feet. Jordan thought it to be a bit amusing that the biggest disincentive for them now was but a measly pair of shoes, even if those shoes could be the difference between a sprained ankle and an inordinately shattered skeletal system. Okay, so maybe he could see why Tom demanded to have the armor handy. But it wasn't as though he truly needed them, as they were most likely not going to climb the soaring spires, anyway. They could very well take them out from the ground, and surely Tom could understand that. Alas, if acquiring the boots would make Tom happy, he would wait until the boots had been gotten. He would not pressure Tom to do something he deemed risky, as Jordan had done to Sonja.

Tom laughed as he was able to pull one of Jordan's socks off with his toes. Quickly, he reached down to grab the item that he retrieved and pulled it up above the surface of the table, earning a affronted expression from the owner of the stolen clothing piece. Giving a mock look of pity, Tom threw the sock over his shoulder into the maze of wheat behind them. He laughed as Jordan groaned and got up to fetch his lobbed garment, practically radiating irritation. But at the thought of being flung, Tom thought back to the enchanted boots. "Watch us get depth-strider rather than feather-falling," he called out.

Jordan laughed as he trampled through the grains, searching for his lost sock. That would be their luck, getting the one thing that they didn't need. "I wouldn't doubt it," he called back upon finding the sock.

"Dude, if we get depth strider, I will go," Tom said, slamming his fist down onto the table as Jordan trudged back to him. Of all of the times that they could get the enchantment, now would still be very unlikely, but possible, and Tom knew this. He was wary with his words, but he needed to back them with confidence and assurance. After all, since he's declared this, he may have very well also signed his suicide note. Although a part of him knew that it was improbable for them to get depth-strider before feather-falling. Or was it? Jordan already had the enchantment, so would that make it more likely for him to get the one that they didn't have?

Jordan shot his friend an incredulous look as he heard Tom claim his new request. Was he being serious? All of this hullabaloo about the feather-falling, but now if he gets depth-strider, he'll go in no problem? Yeah, no way.

Seeing the shock in Jordan's face, Tom let himself clarify. "If we can get depth-strider on a pair of boots before we get feather, I will go into the End," he finished, letting his arms fold across his chest in a sense of confidence. He definitely couldn't pull out of this now.

Jordan shook his head and laughed. "You'll go in if we get depth-strider? Really?" He asked, still disarrayed by the audacious standards that his friend now held himself to. He crossed his arms in a mocking stance of Tom's and smirked at him. What was he getting himself into now?

"They are my terms and conditions; I am not going in until I get that goddamned sexualness," he restated, unfolding his arms to point a finger up at a disbelieving Jordan. They were fucked. Or more so, he was fucked.

"You're going to need some levels, then, aren't you?" Jordan asked, pushing Tom's hand down back to the table. They couldn't get anywhere if the both of them each only had under twenty levels to enchant with. So regardless, they'd have to do some work to actually get a pair of boots, whether that be depth or feather.

Tom bit his lip and nodded. "That was my plan for the day, anyway," he replied, as he had decided earlier that morning that he would strip-mine for some extra levels, and perhaps even stumble upon more precious diamonds. After all, he was sure that they didn't have enough of the material to make some new boots. No levels and diamonds meant no boots at all.

"Good, I was hoping to make those potions of strength for when we actually get to the End," Jordan said, looking into the house at the brewing stand that he would soon be tending to.

Tom let out a small laugh and followed Jordan's gaze into the house. He stood up from his comfortable position on ass and moved to go into house, smiling to himself as he heard Jordan trott up behind him. "Let's get started, shall we?" He asked as he went over to his bed side, picking up his armor that he had haphazardly thrown down the night before.

"Sounds good," Jordan replied with a small nod of his head, moving over to his new station at the brewing stand. He watched as Tom pulled his chest plate over his head and struggled with latching it at the sides. Armor could be a pain to put on, as it wasn't as easy as a click of the mouse. Not anymore, at least. Sighing, he went over to his friend and proceeded to help the buckle, tightening more than the other had managed.

Tom was a bit caught off guard with Jordan's gesture, and he was sure that Jordan could tell, as he nearly fell over when he felt a gentle hand fiddle with his armor. Most of the time, he could get the buckle correctly fastened on the first try, but he had been too careless when he had loosen it last, making it harder to work with now. He grumbled a few words of thanks as Jordan moved away from him upon fixing the strap and continued strapping on the rest of his armor, hopefully a little more successfully. Although, it was nice of Jordan to help him, and he didn't mind the action. It was actually quite nice.

By the time Jordan had filled six of the bottles with water and spread them across the stands with a bit of Nether Wart, Tom had done himself completely up with his armor, and even had both his pickaxe and sword dangling by his side.

"I'm out, then. I'll see you in a bit, yeah?" Tom asked, coming over to Jordan, peering over his shoulder to get a look at the potions that were on their way. He wasn't planning on staying down in the mines for too long, but whatever happens happens.

"Just come up this time, because I don't want to find a dead Tom again," Jordan replied, as the last time that he had set foot far down in the mines was when he had discovered the unmoving Tom, which wasn't fun, to say the least.

Tom nodded with a small laugh and patted Jordan on the shoulder. "I'll come come back, don't you worry," he said, giving his friend a smile as he moved over toward the door, and with a wave, he went through it.

Jordan waited until the other had disappeared down into the earth before he went back his station at the brewing stands, muttering to himself as he did so. "He better be back, the bastard,"

"He better be,"

* * *

Upon reaching the bottom of the long stairwell down, Tom found himself at the small opening that he lay sprawled out a few days prior, remnants of the redstone mixture and gunpowder still laid about on the obsidian. Grinning at the memory, he turned to a small walkway that he had dug out and worked his way through, deciding to branch off further into it. He already had several tunnels winding about down here, seeing as he would mine at night whenever he couldn't sleep earlier on, or whenever there wasn't much to do, he'd slip down here and chip away at the rocks, occasionally finding something worth his time. Aside from all of the impending danger down here, he felt an odd comfort underground. Mining was a task that he could easily get lost in, whether that be in the activity itself or the actual caves. He didn't mind, as it was something that made him happy in this ghoulish yet engaging world.

-Breaking through some rock, he stumbled across some coal that he had spurned and quickly went to work at the resource, feeling the XP swell inside of him as he sliced through the dark matter. Although the magic was sensuously flowing through him now, it wasn't nearly enough, and he'd need a lot more coal to get himself to where he needed to be. He neglected the bits that fell around him, as he didn't need the actual coal itself. Once he had gone through the vein, he turned back into the shaft that he was working in, and hopped down from his perch. He looked both directions, to the left, from where he had came, and to the right, to where he was going. He had already carved most of his path out from the other times that he had been down here, and now it was only a matter of getting all of the magic-y goodness that littered the rock. He was about to continue in the direction that he sought out, but a subtle, recognizable noise drifted into his ear, stopping him in his tracks. He smiled wickedly to himself, for could he really be this lucky? He hoped so.

Jordan sat on the floor, drumming on their wooden panels with his fingers as he waited for his potions to simmer. The first batch was nearly finished, and after that, he'd get to work on the strength II's. As always, Tom got to go out and adventure while he remained to do all of the tedious work. But of course, it needed to be done, and Tom was probably better suited for the task of scavenging, as he was a bit quicker and stealthier than Jordan was. And it's his boots that he is collecting the levels for, so he may as well go and get them himself. Although, at the thought of the boots, Jordan drew curious. He had a good nineteen levels on him as of now, which could get him a good second-level enchanment if he were to go and lay something on the table. Grinning, he stood up and removed the finished potions from their stands and put the new bottles on along with some more Nether Wart, starting off the next batch. While he let those sit, he moved across the room to the chests and grabbed four iron ingots. He made his way back over to the other side of the room, but this time he headed for the crafting table. He set the metal down in the correct pattern, bending them into shape as the table did the rest of the work. He pulled the finished product off of the surface of the table and smiled to himself once more. It was time to head over to the enchantment room.

Tom jumped in triumph as he picked up the pearl that dropped from the gangly Enderman. It had taken him a while to find the guy, but luckily he had. He had half of the items on his to-get list, but that now left the hardest to acquire. Great. He sighed as he pocketed the pearl, carefully setting it inside of his bag. He looked around the small cave that he had found himself in, moving over to retrieve some Lapis to his right. He felt the magic pour into him as be picked his way through the stone, cutting through all of the blue mineral. Once the resource had been collected, he climbed out of the whole that he had dug and explored a bit more, finding some coal to tear into. Again, he welcomed the oncoming of XP and got up out of the crevice, moving to get out of the cave. He found his entrance to his tunnel and hopped through it, making his way out. He stumbled back into another part of the shaft, quickly spotting some more coal.

-Luckily for him, the world underneath was practically oozing all sorts of minerals and magic for him to collect, but he only wished that it was easier to find. He had been down here for a good half hour or so, and he had barely come up to any higher levels. Tom sighed as he leaned against a newly carved wall, mentally cursing Notch and everybody for making this take so goddamned long. Sure, he could have just seduced the cows for a few minutes and picked up their sex-magic, or even just wandered the Nether in search for quartz, but there wasn't any diamonds down there, and the only thing he got from breeding cows were smelly babies. He _had_ to come down here, where it's dark and hopeless. He rubbed his face with his free hand and pushed himself off of the cold wall of rock and let himself tread down the length of the tunnel, reaching the end of it. This was going to take a while.

Jordan grasped the newly-made iron boots tightly in his hand as he walked past the overcrowded farm towards the enchanting room, taking note of the lonely pig. Here they were, almost a month into their stay on the island, and not once had that pig gotten a friend. It almost made him feel bad for breeding the cows like they did, as that meant that the pig would never find another of its kind. Jordan wondered what it would be like to be that pig, alone in a world that is known for it's surplus of bounty, which included wild life. Then again, it wasn't much different from playing normal Minecraft, as you would traverse a barren world with just the silent comfort from lesser beings, like pigs. But he had Tom, so he often forgot about the looming loneliness that the game could uphold. But then there was the thought that perhaps he would come to face that loneliness soon again, as the chance that Tom was fragile was evident to him. Not fragile as in breakable, but more of irrecoverable. If something were to happen to Tom, and he were to die, he would be just like that pig, alone and trapped in an unforgiving world until his final days. And he supposed that he had it a bit worse than the pig, as he was sure that the animal had never once considered the loss of its companion or companionship, as it was just an animal, and it had the luxury of ignorance. But Jordan was aware of his dependence on his friend, albeit not to the full extent, but he still knew. If he were to lose Tom, he would recognize his loss and grieve, as the pig would not. He would _feel_, as the pig would not. No, he was not like the pig. Not really.

-Dismissing the odd pig revelations, Jordan entered the enchanting sanctuary and tapped on the boots, placing them on the table. He moved back to the doorway and grabbed two pieces of Lapis out of the chest and came back in, placing the mineral on the book next to the shoes. The book did its magic and the boots now shone with a purple glow, their new abilities engraved on the soles. Turning them over, Jordan put a hand over his mouth and barked out a laugh. "Oh Tom, you're so screwed,"

Oblivious to his new detriment, Tom gave himself a mental high-five as he came across some diamonds. A slew of "Daaaadadaadadarudesandstorrrrmmm" amongst other squeals emitted from the gleeful miner as he chipped away at the surrounding stone, pulling the precious jewel from the floor. All was well, it seemed. After seemingly forever, he finally had gotten one of the things that he actually set out to find. And perhaps he could get a bit more XP from these diamonds than he would with just coal. Maybe, he wasn't sure. Either way, from the small area at his feet, he was able to collect seven diamonds. And that was good enough for him.

-When his little celebration subsided and he calmed down, Tom moved back to the wall of the tunnel that he was previously working through, but this time an all too familiar pain shot through his arms and an image flickered over his glossy eyes. He gasped and stumbled back, dropping his pickaxe while nearly falling into the whole that he had carved out to get the diamonds. What was this? He wasn't even headed in the same direction as the temple, and all of the guardians had been slain, so this fatiguing poison was impossible. Or was it? What if he had found a new one? Tom let himself get back up, smiling as he did. Another temple meant a another good eight blocks of gold, which also meant another notch apple. This could be good for them, very good. And if he didn't get his feather-falling boots, at least he'd have an extra notch apple to fall back on, and quite literally _fall back on. _

_-_Smirking, he took out an extra glass of milk that he had stashed in his bag from the day before and gulped it down, moving to go further through the wall. He broke through into a cave after a short minute and looked around, quickly spotting another vein of diamonds by a small lava lake. It must have been his lucky day. He took note of the grouping of the jewels and headed to the other wall of the cave a couple yards ahead, staircasing upwards some few block lengths. Once he had gone farther up, he began to recognize the familiar lull of the seawater that was audible just over his head. He must have been getting close, then. As he was about to take another swing at as stone block above him, a sharp tingling sensation struck his arm again, and another fish-like creature spun over his eyes. It was about time for him to be struck again, he supposed. Groaning, he dropped his pickaxe and let himself ease down to his newly fashioned steps to sift through his bag in search of his last glass of milk, drinking it down quickly. He massaged his loosening muscles as he picked up his fallen tool and swiftly made his way back down to the cave, seeking out the diamonds that he had seen a few moments before. Discarding the empty bottle into the lava near him, Tom took out a pail of water and doused the hot river, watching as it speedily solidified into the volcanic glass. With the new absence of light, he dug through his bag in search for a torch to illuminate the darkened area, as he needed to see what he was about to mine. Torch placed, he lifted up his pickaxe once again and dug through the blue crystals, picking out a good eighteen pieces. Twenty-five diamonds. He'd say that was enough for one day, after all, he needed to go and break the news of their new side quest to his friend.

Jordan took the newly finished potions off of the brewing stands and stacked them neatly in the chest, organized by type and length. Nearby, he had placed the enchanted iron boots on the beds, eagerly anticipating their new owner's arrival home. That is if boots could actually desire such a thing, as it was mostly Jordan who awaited the return of his friend. He couldn't wait to see the look on his face once he showed Tom the boots that he had made; it would be too good. But luckily he wouldn't have to wait much longer, as his companion was making his way rapidly up the stairs as Jordan sat on the floor.

"Jordan! I have news!" Tom called wildly as the reached the surface of the island. His excitement bounced up and down inside of him, restlessly trying to expel itself in an onslaught of dribbled words to his friend.

Jordan spun about on his position on the floor, surprised by Tom's sudden and abrupt return. Quickly, though, he got to his feet and dashed to the door, grabbing the boots as he did. "Prepare to eat your words, my friend," Jordan said when he met Tom outside, lifting up the armored shoes for his friend to take.

Tom reached out and grabbed one of the boots offered and groaned as he read the enchanment on the sole. No way. There was no way that Jordan had gotten depth-strider on a pair so quickly. He was only gone for a few hours, for fuck's sake! "You've got to be joking," he said, turning the shoe over in his hand. He let out a small laugh in defeat as he placed the boot back into Jordan's hands and covered his face. "No fucking way,"

Jordan smirked as he tucked them under his armpit. "Ready when you are," he replied, earning a sore glance from Tom. They could finally travel to the End, thanks to Tom's ridiculous humor and ego.

"They aren't even diamond! Fucking Iron! How's that going to help?" Tom asked, flailing his arms up in the air. He was going to die.

Jordan shook his head and laughed. "Well, you most likely won't wear these in the End, and I would suggest that you don't, anyway. So really, it doesn't matter," he said, s finger near the other's face. "You just said that if we get depth-strider on anything, then we would go to the End, your 'terms and conditions' as you eloquently put,"

Tom placed his hands on his hips and sighed deeply. Jordan was sadistic. He must wish pain and suffering upon Tom or something, because right now he was sentencing him to death. Luckily, his discovery might save him. "Well, I'm glad you made me those boots, because we'll need them," he said, smiling as Jordan gave him a bemused expression. "I've got us a side quest,"

Jordan folded his arms and returned the sigh. They were so close, but as fate would have it, there had to be another delay. Shifting his weight to his other foot, he relaxed and motioned for Tom to continue his tale.

"So while I was down mining, I found twenty-five diamonds," Tom began, buffing his nails on his chest plate in a show of gloating. Surely he could soften Jordan's soon-spent nerves with some lovely jewels, as diamonds made everything better in the Minecraft world. Surely, it did. Surely.

Jordan's eyes widened in surprise. Twenty-five? That was quite a lot for the time that Tom was down there, but what about this quest? What did diamonds have to do with anything? "Nice," he commented. "Anything else?"

Tom scratched the back of his neck and let a small chuckle pass his lips. "Well, yeah. While I was mining the diamonds, I got fatigued," he said, and turned around to face the Nether portal. "When I went strip-mining in that direction. So it looks as though we have another temple."

Jordan wiped his hand over his face and groaned. "No, Tom. Not again," He was done with those dreaded guardians and potions and everything. It had dragged out longer than needed, as they seemed to spend more time down under the surface of the ocean than above it. "Not another temple. We don't have time for this!"

"We don't have to do anything! Just go in, get the gold, and get out. And wouldn't you feel better with another Notch apple?" Tom said, practically begging Jordan. He may as well have been on his knees at this point. They needed to go; they had to. And it's not as though they were putting their lives on the thinnest of lines, as they've made it in and out of the temples multiple times on end. Well, the two of them had.

Hearing the slight desperate tone in Tom's voice, Jordan caved. After all, he _was_ losing out on the feather-falling boots that he depended on, so maybe an extra apple could tide him over. Tom -as of now- was completely right in most senses, as they very well could benefit from the Godapple. Yet Jordan found himself loathing the thought of returning to the enigmatic depth of the sea. He shook his head in utter surrender; why did Tom have to be some frustrating, and why did he have to be so reasonable? Truly, it was a curse. "We only have one pufferfish left for potions," he said meekly.

Tom's grin spread madly across his face, excitement lighting in his eyes. He reached into his bag and pulled out a blue potion and shook it in front of Jordan's face. "If you make one more batch, we should be fine," he said, placing the water-breathing pot back into his bag. "Come on then, let's get started," Tom added, clapping Jordan on the back as he sprinted off into the house.

Jordan let out a small laugh and trotted inside after his laborious friend. Upon entering the house, Tom was already sprawled out across the three beds, shaking off his burdensome armor. Jordan resumed his position at the brewing stand and took out a few more bottles and filled them, placing them in the stands with Nether Wart to let them simmer. As he had said, there was only one pufferfish let for the potions, so he could only make three more, giving them a good four in total. Meaning that they'd have to be very quick and careful in the temple. Very.

"Should I get the milk, then?" Tom proposed as he stripped himself of his gauntlets, letting the last bit of his protective gear fall into the sheets. He may as well do something to contribute, seeing that Jordan was doing the brunt of the work he felt bad that he constantly put the other up to all of the strenuous tedious work, but he did it efficiently and well, and he definitely had a knack for it. It was for the best, it seemed.

Jordan nodded absentmindedly at Tom's suggestion and heard as the other dug through various chests, then leave the room entirely. Jordan let himself relax against the wall of chests adjacent to the stands and closed his eyes, methodically rubbing his eyes until little stars danced on the insides of his eyelids. If he he wanted to, he could have really fought Tom on whether or not that they should even consider such a mission when they had so much other shit to do, not counting the preparation for this new obstacle. But Tom's idea was valid, and eventually he would have had to succumbed to it, anyhow. The extra Godapple could definitely come in handy, and the Temple wasn't as treacherous as his mind eluded it to be. It wasn't that bad. It won't be that bad. Although the one thing that had bothered him in the scenario was just the measly fact that he had given in to the other gamer so easily, as if he were putty in his hand. What made him yield so unobtrusively? Was it that his subconscious had reasoned through it more quickly than he had in the moment? Possibly, as he didn't know, and quite frankly didn't care to. They were going now, whether he liked it or not.

Tom juggled the several pails in his arms, trying desperately not to drop them on his way over to the herd of cows. Reaching the fence that separated him from the overcrowded pen, the clambered over the boundary and stumbled into the pit of filth and dairy, quickly pulling an adult steer away from the others. Kneeling on the ground, he placed the bucket underneath of the animal's utters and began to massage them until the warm liquid squirted out, slowly but surely filling the bucket. Once he had filled the bucket, he placed it over the railing as to not knock it over and moved to another cow, extracting the milk from her. He filled four buckets, which was all that he could carry by himself, and headed back to the house, leaving the empty pails by the fence posts to be recollected at another time. He entered the house and nodded to Jordan, who leaned against the wall, seeming to be lost in thought. Tom set the buckets down and pulled out a few glass bottles from the chest by his friend, now waken from his stupor.

"That's quite a bit of milk," Jordan commented as he heard a clunk and splash emitted from beside him. Truly it was, as the certainly didn't need four buckets of the liquid, let alone one. "A little much, don't you think?"

Tom nodded as he looked back down at the buckets, all sloshing the white cream over the side as they settled. Maybe he had gotten a bit carried away with the cows. "It reminds me of that one fanart from Mianite, I think," he replied, glancing back up to his friend. "You know the one where you were drawn as a cow, and I was drinking your milk?" Tom giggled as he processed the oddity that just spilled from his lips. Drinking Jordan's milk? A bit of a far-fetched innuendo, but it painted a picture, nonetheless.

Jordan nodded and laughed, as he had seen that one. "That was ridiculous," he said, as the internet had a truly unrelenting talent.

"My favorite one was from Tumblr, and You were dressed as your usual self in those green shorts and black shirt," Tom laughed a bit harder as he remembered the specific image. The artist had captured Jordan and his esque quite masterfully.

"I don't believe that I have seen that particular one, actually," Jordan said, biting his lip. He had seen lots of fanart from the series, but that one didn't ring a bell.

"It was fantastic!" Tom said, beginning to fill the bottles up with the milk, though he stopped when a certain thought passed over his mind. "You do have a Tumblr, yes?" He asked warily.

Jordan shook his head as turned back to the brewing stand, adding the pufferfish to the mixture. He had been on the site several times before, but it never came across him that he should sign up for it. He already had the necessary media platforms, so what good was another? It would just become a little too redundant, in his eyes.

Tom corked the first glass of milk and placed it down on the floor, shooting Jordan a disapproving look. How could he not have a Tumblr? Sure, it wasn't a website made for people like themselves, but more for the soft, hipster outlook. It was direct to extroverts like Tyler Oakley, not crazed gamers like Tom. Then again, Jordan was a bit different in that way, and he assumed that he had the qualities for the social media site. "You have let all of your fans down, Jordan. Every single one of them," he said, trying to maintain a steady voice and assert seriousness, but his facade failed when his friend started laughing. "I have one, and I fucking love it,"

"Yeah?" Jordan said, turning away from the stand to look at Tom. "Why? Don't you have Instagram and such?"

"Well, duh, but you can just connect it with Instagram and shit," Tom replied with a shrug of his shoulders, as it wasn't that big of an issue. Tumblr was an odd, scary place, but interesting at that. He had learned many things through it, and he hoped that Jordan shared the knowledge. Obviously not, though.

Jordan shook his head and laughed. If Tom was so keen on making Jordan sign up for the website, the who knows? Maybe he would. He didn't think it to be quite his type of thing, but if Tom enjoyed it, then possibly he could, as well.

"What's our bro-code? Or the hashtag that everyone is going to use when they think of us?" It was a bit of an awkward and risky question to ask Jordan, seeing as he probably was unaware of the immense 'shipping' that the website was consumed with. But who knows, maybe Jordan could get into it, seeing as they already had a firmly established bromance, and surely Tom wasn't the only one who saw that. "S-, spar-, s-? Sparkleycate? No, that sounds like a girl's name," he said, thinking of their name. This was hard.

Jordan was knowledgeable of the odd pairings, but he himself had never been a part of one, let alone it's establisher. But he was willing to indulge in the fantasy, as it was creative and cute, in a way. He wasn't entirely sure. "Syndisparklez? Sparkdicate?" He offered, scratching the back of his neck as he tried to think of more combinations.

"Syndisparklez," Tom repeated, letting the name roll off of his tongue. "I like it," he stated, moving behind him to a chest, pulling out a paper and quill from the storage bin. He sprawled the name on the paper and handed it to Jordan, having him check the spelling.

"It's good; a real ship name," Jordan said, looking over the new word, forming it in his lips. He handed the sheet back to Tom, who quickly trotted over to their beds and posted it over the middle one, stepping back to look at it. Jordan moved over to him, abandoning the potions for a quick minute to gaze upon the paper as well. Tom placed an arm around Jordan's shoulder as he came near, leaning into him as they both read the word now drifting over their sleeping quarters.

"Tell me that you love me," Tom blurted, a wicked smile splaying on his lips. If they were to complete and solidify their bromance, they needed to be open about it. Maybe not this open, but it was what Tom wanted. He wasn't quite aware of it consciously at the moment, but a secret subdued part of him wanted to hear Jordan utter those little words; words that he deemed insignificant, but yet entirely were not.

Jordan felt his features redden as he gave his friend an aporetic glance. "W-what?" He stammered, a bit caught off guard. Where had such a command come from? And why? Several confused emotions and a few unrecognizable excited ones swam in his head as he searched Tom's expression for an answer.

"Come on, if we want to get fandom hype for the two of us, I need you to say that you love me," Tom said, giving Jordan a slight nudge with his hip while he tightened his arm around him. "Say that you love me,"

This time, Jordan smoothed his features to express more of annoyance, shielding his bemusement. "I love you," he said weakly, letting Tom poke him in the stomach.

"Louder! For the whole world to hear!" Tom sang, shaking Jordan. Truly, it was amusing to watch as he further made the other gamer uncomfortable, even though he was trying his best to hide it. It sparked a curiosity in him, and he wished to explore it in depth. Perhaps not now, though.

"I love you!" Jordan partially groaned, loud enough to stir the rabbits in their own a few feet away. This was a bit unnecessary, but Jordan didn't mind, as it seemed to be Tom's new game. Maybe his favorite, as soon he would find that the younger gamer would pursue this charade to the epitome of fulfillment.

"Well that didn't sound forced at all," Tom said, releasing Jordan so that he could get back to his task of bottling milk. Even if it was against his will, the words that Jordan spoke gave him a sense of comfort that Tom was vaguely aware of, but not completely. After all, it was just a little bonding activity. Nothing too substantial.

Not at all.

* * *

"You need to respect me as your Tumblr homie, Jar-dan!" Tom exclaimed as he stood outside, arms crossed on his chest as he stared with fabricated anger at Jordan. Personally, he wanted to traverse back through the mines and dig their way up to the temple, so that maybe they could enter it from the bottom and avoid some of the ugly guardians that would undoubtedly get in their way.

"We don't need to go back in the mines to get there, as I'm sure it'll be simpler if we just get in outer boat and go over to the Temple," Jordan said, rubbing his temple. Why Tom wanted to go through the strip mine was beyond him. If they boated their, they could arrive quicker and not waste any water-breathing, as swimming up currents could be strenuous and difficult.

"Whatever," Tom said, flinging his arms over his head as he feigned annoyance, quickly realizing that Jordan's method was a bit more realistic, and he didn't feel like bantering, anyway. "We'll have it your way, then, even if you don't have a Tumblr," he added mischievously, looking over the water to try and spot a nearby vessel, as if they were traveling by boat now, it would be good to have one.

"Are you my OTP?" Jordan asked, smiling as Tom gave up on the argument, resuming their discussion of their newfound fandom name. He had heard and seen the expression on all corners of the internet, and he assumed that it could be applicable to their scenario in some way. "You're my OTP,"

Looking back at Jordan, Tom frowned. "What's that?" He had never heard the term before, which was a bit odd for him to go on about shipping the two of them without knowledge of this little term.

Jordan raised a testy eyebrow and gasped. "Wow, you have a Tumblr and don't even know what that means!"

"What does it mean? Other half?" Tom guessed, a bit confused as to what foreign tongue Jordan was now speaking in. 'OTP'- what the hell? What was this?

"No. Well, sorta," Jordan replied, bring a finger up to his chin. "It stands for 'One True Pairing,'" he explained, taking out the potions that he forgot to give to him earlier when they had finished brewing.

"What? You're giving me shit for _that_? How the hell was I supposed to know that that meant 'One True Pairing?'" Tom asked, taking the potions From Jordan.

"Because you're all on the Tumblr and stuff! Everyone on Tumblr knows that, and I'm not even on the site!" Jordan reasoned, handing Tom the last strength potion. "Yeah, you're calling me a noob for not having a Tumblr, yet you don't even know some of the website's basics terminology,"

Tom grumbled as he stuffed the potions into his bag, looking up to see that Jordan trotted off to retrieve the boat nearest to the farm. "Is there two?" He asked, trying to look over the wheat to where Jordan now puttered about.

"No, there's one for me," Jordan called back, getting into the boat and pushing of from the shore slightly.

"You are the most useless..." Tom trailed off, stomping into the house to make yet another boat. Where were they all disappearing to? New boat in hand, Tom trotted back outside to where Jordan aimlessly drifted and set the boat into the water, pushing off and letting himself float along.

"Are you mad?" Jordan asked him, sweetly as he could.

Tom took a deep breath, giving a sharp reply. "I'm not mad," he said, truthfully. After all, Jordan was his buddy for life, and he would not let a measly boat stand in the way of their friendship, and he laughed to himself as he imagined a boat being the thing that disturbed their bromance. Nothing could touch; not anything.

Jordan smiled and pulled out his oars, looking over to his friend who now glided alongside him. "Let's do this,"

* * *

"There's no way that it was that close," Jordan said as he neared the Temple, looking down through the water to see a laminated palace not far below.

"What do you mean?" Tom asked, a bit farther behind. He squinted as he peered into the water, but nothing could be seen. He turned back to see their island, as they had only gone a short distance from it.

"It's literally right there," Jordan said as he got closer to the temple, almost hovering over it. This would have been so much easier to ransack and conquer, seeing as though it was but a small journey out from the Nether Portal.

"Oh, fuck," Tom said as he got to the point where the underwater building came into view, gaping at the sheer proximity it had to them. "It's right there," he finished, noticing an abundance of minuscule fish-like creatures dotting the exterior of the palace. This was going to be interesting.

"Yeah," Jordan steadied his boat as looked down into the water at all of the swimming creatures below him, flitting in and out of the immense palace. As well as the guardians, possibilities entered his mind as he considered scenarios. Perhaps I they had found this temple instead, Sonja would have had a better chance making it out, as this one appeared to differ in layout just slightly. But then again, if they had not stumbled upon the other first, they most likely would not have discovered the Ender Dungeon. It was all cluttered up in his head, and instead of letting go it sit and brew, he chose to let the thoughts disperse. What good was it now? He had already grieved and forgotten, and besides, that was all over now. He had to focus on what was happening presently, as that was more important and advantageous than just sitting and contemplating all of the 'what ifs' as he had earlier. They were going to go in together, and they were going to kick ass.

⬇️⬇️⬇️

"Shit, we need to build a platform," Tom exclaimed as he leaped from his boat and into the cold water, landing right over the top of the temple. Quickly, he grabbed his sword from his side and pulled it out, slashing at the guardians that protruded from openings as they heard the gamer splashing about. He slashed through the first few with ease, having already consumed one of Jordan's potions of strength. The other was right in the fact that the brewings really benefitted in combat, as he found himself barely affected from the fight. This was looking good already. He took out a few blocks of cobblestone from his bag, swimming down into the water to build a pillar from the temple up to support his platform. Sloppily, he built off from the pillar and made the base, stone blocks being placed at rapid speed. Once he had manufactured a somewhat stable dais, he looked over to see if Jordan had come over to him yet, which he had not. The other still sat adrift in the water, but he appeared to be listening.

Jordan was about to reply to the other gamer, but halted as his boat rocked beneath him, nearly tossing him into the open water. Looking over the side, he saw a guardian pass below him, nudging the boat again, although this time he wasn't as lucky. Jordan tumbled over the small rail of the boat and splashed into the water as the guardian swam off, pleased with it's work. Groaning, Jordan pulled himself back up to the surface and swam over to Tom, who was laughing uncontrollably. "Shut up," Jordan called, trying not to smile back at his slightly inconsiderate friend. How darude.

"He just came right under you and out you went!" Tom retold, clutching has his stomach while he wiped at his eyes. The sight was truly ridiculous; the preeminent CaptainSparklez was spilled from his boat by the guardian. "Get your ass out of the water and come help me," he added once he had reclaimed his breath, motioning for his friend to assist him with the building of the platform.

Jordan grumbled a reply as he swam over to the stone dock and clambered onto it, trying to squeeze out some of the water from his clothes. It was a bit difficult since he had his clunky armor covering him, locking the wet clothes in place. He turned around to look back over the water, trying to spot the morsel that dumped him, but all he saw was his boat submerging into the ocean, along with his way home. "Damn," he muttered under his breath as he took out some of his Netherrack, going along the edge of what Tom had built. Because they only had two water-breathing potions each, they'd only have a few uses of milk before they'd just have to deal with the fatigue. Also, they had a very limited window of time that they could be in the Temple, so they'd have make sure that they spent that time wisely and efficiently. "We only have so many potions and bottles of milk; so be careful," he warned the other.

"Yeah, I got it," Tom replied as he finished his part of the platform turning around to see Jordan's atrocity. "Here I am, trying to be considerate with my exterior decorating skills, matching textures, and there you are, fucking everything over with that blasted Netherrack!" He dissed, flinging a hand of dismissal at the uncoordinated stones. Looking a little more closely, he noticed that Jordan also built up all of the sides. "And what's with all of these walls? Want us to drown? We'll never be able to get up on the platform with these," he added as he took out his pickaxe, breaking down some of the blocks that the other had placed. Did Jordan know anything about architecture?

"Jeez, man. Okay," Jordan said as he backed up to let Tom past him, watching as he tore down some of their mini-fort. Jordan supposed that he wasn't really thinking when he had built around the dais, as he was just building to build. And when had Tom ever really cared about the materials of an outpost? As it was their temporary station, and not their long term home. It didn't matter, though. He knew Tom was being light, as his humor was very consistent with belligerency.

Tom nodded, a sly smile splaying on his features. "Come here," he commanded as he pulled Jordan closer to him, ruffling up his hair. "Noob," he said softly as the other pushed away from him to situate his hair back to its normal state. Truly, it was adorable how Tom could just mess with Jordan like this. Or as the older gamer would say, _such cute OMG_. Tom bit back a chuckle as he reminisced the pink tunic Jordan had gotten him for his birthday, same phrase written on the tag. It was a brilliant idea for a gift, at least one to give to Tom. Jordan knew him pretty well, he realized, and he blushed slightly as he thought into it a bit more. Luckily, Jordan didn't know everything about him.

Jordan groaned while he played with his unkempt black locks, trying to rally them back to something that looked somewhat normal. He gave up as he realized that they would soon be getting into the water, and the mess would be dealt with then. Moving away from Tom, he went to the edge of the platform and gazed down into the water, grabbing onto a taller pillar of stone for support. In the end, it was a bit of a bad idea, as he came to face another guardian, that shot him without notice. Jordan fell back a bit, wincing as he was hit. Checking, he grabbed his pickaxe and felt the familiar tingle and throb in his muscles, and pursued the tool no longer. Of course, he had been fatigued, as well. He looked up at Tom, who nodded back at him, and joined his side by the edge of the platform. "Do you want to go in first, mine us a hole and pop in to look around?" He asked, massaging his arm with his fingers.

"Yeah, I can do that," Tom answered, peering over the rail. Luckily for him, there wasn't a creature to get at him, as well. With his new position closer to the water, Tom noticed a few scratchy moans and frugal creaks emitting from the temple. "I can hear him," he commented, squinting his eyes as he tried to spy the certain creature's fins pass through any of the cracks in the ceiling of the palace.

"Hear who?" Jordan asked, confused as to who Tom was tuning in on.

"The Elder guardian, I think that there's one always chilling up at the top of the temples," he replied, watching a set of gangly grey gills poke through a small gap. He was there, alright. "So do you want me to water-breathe and then go in?" He asked, tripping to get a feel for their plan.

"No," Jordan answered, thinking up a quick strategy. "Just go down and mine out a hole, and then I'll go down in and take care of him while you drink your potions," He finished, gripping his sword hilt white-knuckled. Tom had taken care of the last one, and it was his turn to get a bite in.

Tom nodded in compliance, stepping up onto the ledge, turning around to give Jordan a short salute, then he walked straight off of the edge and plunged into the water. Swimming down, he felt a warmth rest is his back, but he ignored it as he mined a few blocks out carelessly. After he finished, he turned around to see a guardian a few yards away targeting for a blast. He braced the hit, clenching his teeth as he shot back up to the surface. Gulping the air, he grabbed onto one of the ledges and heaved himself up, resting at Jordan's feet. "All yours," he said, gesturing for the other to dive in. He watched as Jordan quickly drank his potions and cannon-ball in, disappearing under the platform.

Jordan cursed as he dove through the water, seeing a group of guardians now clustered near the hole that Tom made very unneatly. He gasped as one of the creatures charged him, creating a loud screech as the spikes clashed against his armor. With one hit, the fish was down, and soon the others followed in pursuit, turning to dust at Jordan's blade. He turned his attention toward the hole, watching as the Elder guardian tried to worm his way through the gap that was too small for his immense body. It backed away as Jordan approached the entrance, sword tipped at the creature's face. He slashed at the Elder, and the Elder puckered and struck at him, but was unmatched to Jordan's strength boost and sharpened sword, and was disintegrated like the other guardians outside of the Temple. Sighing in relief, Jordan spun his sword in his hand and kicked upward, going to meet up with Tom to call him down, but saw that the other was just outside of the hole.

"Get him?" Tom asked as he peered into the Elder Guardian's chambers, finding it to be vacant except for Jordan, who drifted near the opening to the other wings of the temple.

"Yeah, he's down," Jordan replied, smacking away a guardian the lingered in the other corridor.

"Alright, and remember; we're only here for the gold," he said, following Jordan as he sank down into the hall. He heeded the other's warning about not dilly-dallying, as they were both already halfway done with their first potion.

Jordan hummed in agreement, handing Tom some of his Netherrack. "If you want to make some pillars like in the last one, feel free," he said, looking around the new area a few guardians swam about, but nothing else interesting was around, as they had come into another hall.

"Thanks, man," Tom said, taking the stone. He nearly forgot about that strategy until now, and he was thankful for the reminder, as these things could come in handy. He swam back up the the room they were previously in and stacked a few blocks, dispersing them around the room. Sinking back down, he did the same for their current room, as well as a few surrounding them. "Alright, through here?" He asked, moving to the other side of the room behind the big center piece, gesturing to the level below them.

"Yeah, it'll probably down here," Jordan replied as he followed Tom down to the lower level, finding the central room easily.

"Right here," Tom said, scoffing. Wasn't too hard to find, apparently. "That's it," he added, making a pillar to hide behind, as there were a few guardians that had spotted them come in.

"I'll strength II, and then just clear them out," Jordan said, indicating the creatures that were shooting blasts at them. He moved through the water as he drank the potion and slashed through the fish, making his way around the center fixture to get the ones that lurked about. It was a bit of a task, seeing as though he could only move through the water at snail's pace. But then, he was reminded of his own ignorance. "God, what am I doing? I'm an idiot!" He exclaimed, searching through his bag for a particular item.

"What?" Tom asked, setting up some more pillars around the room while he got rid of a few guardians that got in his way.

Jordan found the boots and slipped his current ones off of his feet, replacing them with the depth-strider pair that the had brought with him. How had he not thought of this earlier? He eased them onto his feet and felt his legs lighten in weight, making it easier for him to zoom about in the water. "There we go! Depth-strider, baby!"

"You had those with you? What were you doing, then?" Tom laughed, watching as Jordan zipped around in the water, slaying the guardians much more quickly. "Do you want me dig out the gold?" Tom asked, swimming over to the center pillar, resting on one of the prismarine lanterns.

Jordan went over and stood on the lantern across from Tom, reaching to his belt to touch his pickaxe. A slight throb could still be felt in his arm, but only barely. "No, I think can do it. My fatigue is wearing off," he said, grabbing the tool and pulling it out from his belt. Quickly, he dropped it back into his loop as he felt the pain in his arm intensify again, as the spell had recasted. "Never mind,"

Tom nodded and took out his pickaxe, sheathing his sword. "I've had that happen to me; it re-establishes itself," he said, swinging at the prismarine blocks. He mined through the first layer and smiled to himself as the gold blocks were revealed. There they were.

Jordan moved away from Tom and circled the pillar again, annihilating the guardians that had stumbled into the big room when they heard all of the commotion. With the boots equipped, he was easily able to rid the room of the creatures again. He returned back over to the side Tom was on, but was puzzled to see that he had stopped mining. "Did you get hit again?" He asked.

"No," Tom replied, annoyance dripping into his speech. "I didn't have a platform to stand on so the stuff wouldn't mine," he added, placing a few ow the blocks that he had picked up to put underneath him. It was a pain to swim and mine at the same time, as both task were grueling enough done separately. "It wasn't going fast enough,"

"Oh, but you've been hit again?" Jordan repeated, still a bit bemused from Tom's response. They needed to hurry.

"Well, go! Go, go, go! Mine stuff," Jordan commanded, ushering Tom up the little step that he had made. He had already downed his last water-breathing, and he didn't want to have any close-calls while they were down here; they've had enough already.

"Alright, alright!" Tom called, mining through the last few pieces. "Can you collect it?" He asked, watching as Jordan bent over to pick up the miniature blocks of gold and tuck them away into his bag. Having all of it mined out, he stepped up into the air pocket that he had created and motioned for Jordan to come up with him. "You got them?" Tom asked, looking at the few bricks in the other's arms.

"Yeah, all eight," Jordan replied, as he had counted them as he grabbed them off of the floor. He leaned against the opposite wall as he put the rest of the blocks into his bag, noticing that Tom was watching him. It was something that the two of them often did; stare at the other when they performed tasks, switching back and forth as each changed activities. Jordan's initial thought was that he should have believed it to be a bit creepy, but he found comfort in it, instead. Tom looked out for him, and subconsciously he reciprocated. He gave Tom a nod, signaling that they were all set.

"Notch apple, bitch! Here we come!" Tom shouted as he dove back into the water, swimming up to the opening of the corridor from which they came. They had the gold in hand, and all they needed to do was surround it in an apple, which oddly enough, was still edible with the mineral casing. He felt a sense of ease wash over him, now that he knew that they had secured what could be his savior. Sure, he still felt uncomfortable without the feather-falling, but an apple was better than nothing, he supposed.

"I still can't believe that I forgot about the boots," Jordan brought up as he swam next to Tom, practically running circles around him. He didn't know what had taken him so long to figure out that he had left the boots in his bag, specifically for this purpose.

Tom looked down at Jordan's feet, which moved swiftly yet chaotically as they cut through the water. "Can I try them out?" He asked, intrigued to see what they were like on. He had never tried them on in person, and watching Jordan fly around had him a bit jealous.

"Yeah, here," Jordan said, taking the boots off of his feet and putting on his regular ones, handing the removed pair to Tom.

Tom took the offered boots and slipped them onto his feet, tossing his others to Jordan. Kicking his feet, he sped around the hall. "Oh, hell yes!" He shouted as he looped around, spinning about the halls.

Jordan shook his head and laughed as he watched Tom zig-zag through the rooms rapidly. He went through one of the halls that Tom had bounced through, finding himself at the front entrance of the Temple. "Hey, I found the way out," he called to a distracted Syndicate.

"These are amazing," Tom said as he sped past Jordan and out into the water. The boots created little whirlpools by his feet when he spun in a circle really quickly, and Tom watched as the formations sucked unsuspecting fish through them. "Swag for days!"

"Whoa, those are mine, sir," Jordan said as he followed Tom outside of the temple, confused as to why there were dizzy fish puttering about. He had made those boots for Tom, but he really had the ownership of them, as Tom had turned them away.

"Too bad, so sad," Tom replied as he shot up to the surface. He had no intentions of giving these bad boys up so soon. "Get robbed, son!"

"Way to be a team player," Jordan scoffed, rising up through the water.

"I don't need to be a team player," Tom replied, pulling himself up the ledge of the platform. If Jordan had any plans of getting these boots back, he'd have to tackle Tom and take them off himself.

"Oh really? What about Syndisparklez, then?" Jordan asked as he broke the surface of the water and clambered up onto the dais, as well. Tom had been so set on having them be a thing, yet here he was, dissing their pairing almost.

"Syndisparklez will last until our final breaths, my friend," Tom assured, reaching out to clap Jordan on the back. If certainly wasn't dead, if that was what Jordan was implying. No, Tom wouldn't let that happen. The bond they had now was thick enough to see, as well as strong enough to withstand the weight of the both of them. "Syndisparklez is love, Syndisparkles is life,"

"I'm not sure about that," Jordan said with a small laugh. Tom wasn't going to let all of this get to his head, was he? Surely it was just another one of his little games that he'll play until he gets bored and forgets it. Surely that was it, yes? Maybe so, but even then, Jordan couldn't help but play along, as this one he might actually come to embrace.

"Don't doubt the power of love!" Tom exclaimed, clutching at his heart dramatically. This would be a little hard it Jordan was going to stubborn.

Blushing, Jordan shook his head and moved to the other side of the platform, to where the side was closed off and he could sit. He looked up at the sky, which had darkened substantially while they had been in the temple. He hadn't even noticed how late the day had become, as the hours had been spent so effortlessly and quickly. "Shouldn't we be getting back?"

Tom gazed up at the sky and spotted the moon peeping up over the horizon, slightly kissing it as it slowly rose up further. "Good idea," he replied, moving over to the side of the dais where his boat had been left, but now was not there. "Do you see my boat, by chance?" He asked, eyes glazing over the water to look for a small indication of its whereabouts.

"No, I don't see anything" Jordan said, as he did not. The ocean surface was clear except for a few squids that bobbed up and down in the distance. "Looks like we may be stuck here for the night,"

"Fuck," Tom replied, walking over to where Jordan sat, sliding down next to him. He had been looking forward to sleeping in his bed tonight, but of course, that would not be the case. "At least it's nice out," he commented while he let his hand fall back into the water, getting his fingers wet, bringing it up to flick at Jordan.

Jordan flinched as cool liquid hit his neck, gasping as he moved his hand up to wipe it away. "You bastard," he said, turning to face Tom as he dipped his arm into the water, jerking it forward to inflict more of a splash on the offender.

"Hey, mine was only a little flick, not a tsunami!" Tom yelled as he stood up, trying to dodge the downpour that came his way. "You little bitch, you!"

Jordan laughed as Tom relocated himself a few blocks down, directly facing him. And they sat like that, feet propped up on the stone as they leaned against Tom's misplaced railing, toes stretched out to poke at the other's. "It is rather nice, though. Peaceful," Jordan said, letting his head fall back to rest on the cool stone behind him. It was better than some of the nights they had spent on the island, like the first few when they had to lay awake on the found, as they had barely any resources to keep mobs from tripping to attack them while they slept. And the. Of course there were the nights were just long, as sleep wouldn't come easy with the night terrors and fear. But unlike those, this night was serene and calm; yielding to them. He wouldn't have it any other way.

Tom hummed in agreement as he tilted his head, looking over at Jordan, who looked back at him. "I like us," he uttered into the silence. It was him and Jordan, Jordan and him, and for some reason, he wouldn't have it any other way. It was nice having more people to work with while they were there, but if he had to chose but one to work with for the rest of his time, he'd chose Jordan in heartbeat. Which, he supposed, didn't matter, as they were already together as it was. He only hoped that he wasn't the only one between them who though this. "We make a good team, you and I,"

Jordan laughed and lifted his head up. He doesn't want to be a team player, but now he thinks that they worked well together. This guy had some things to work out, but he supposed that he did, as well. "So you are a team player, then?"

Tom nodded and smiled. "Of course," he said, taking off his bag and setting it next to him, as it was getting a bit heavy "If you're on my team, that is, Sparkely-dick,"

Jordan blushed a bit at the notion, feeling his body tingle with warmth. Where was this softness coming from? "You aren't too bad, yourself,"

"Yeah?" Tom said, raising an eyebrow. "Sometimes I don't feel like it, you know?" He prompted, fiddling with one of his chest plate straps. "I mess up a bit, get some things wrong, you know how it goes," he added, a bit of an underlying solemn tone creeping into his voice. He didn't know why all of this was coming out now, perhaps the mood and the setting was just rubbing on him, but he couldn't turn back now that the words were surfacing. "But then place me next to you and I feel quite alright; as though I can do something useful and correct or some shit like that," he drifted off, leaving it at that. He didn't want to go too far.

Jordan was a bit surprised at Tom's words, as he had not expected them. Sure, he figured they'd have a little one-on-one chat before they'd eventually fall asleep, but he didn't know that that was how Tom had felt. To him, Tom was the confident leader who could take anything head-on, but apparently that wasn't the case. "I get what you're saying, as I've felt a bit close to that," he said, trying to empathize. "I've always been a bit of the independent or odd-man-out one between the four of us, yet when we're paired up that feeling goes away," he relented, remembering the past few days and how he had almost completely forgotten the ones back in Mianite when he stood alone.

Tom smiled, as that was just what he wished to hear; Jordan felt the same. They both felt as though they were the unusable, odd pieces that couldn't really fit with any others, but interlocked perfectly once fit together. "Syndisparklez forever," he said, lifting his hands up into the shape of a heart, looking at Jordanth rough the middle.

Jordan let out a small laugh and mimicked Tom, bringing his hands up to form a heart, as well. "Syndisparklez forever,"

* * *

**A/N: I really hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter! Again, I am so sorry about the lengthy hiatus between updates. Shit happens, you know? But I just want to thank everyone who gave this story a review last chapter and for all of the support this has been getting. I'll try to incorporate the suggestions in these next few chapters as best I can, but I'll be sure to add some stuff of my own in, as well. Feel free to continue leaving suggestions and comments, as I really appreciate them. Yer boi. :) **


	5. Chapter Five: Day 28

**A/N: Mianite started up! Whoop Whoop! That's partially a reason why this took a while to finish, I'll admit. Sorry. Anyway, this chapter should be interesting. Enjoy :)**

* * *

Jordan blinked awake, feeling the newly risen sun's bright rays burn through his eyelids. He wriggled his back against the stone that he laid upon, pushing himself up to sit upright. He yawned and rubbed at his eyes, moving his upper body in odd ways to try and stretch out a bit. Opening his eyes again, he noticed that his legs were immobile, as another being was strewn across them. Tom sat curled up on his legs, tightly gripping the fabric of Jordan's pants as he nuzzled into the other gamer. Jordan smiled as he pushed back a few strands of hair that fell over Tom's face, earning a small groan from his sleeping friend.

Tom's senses eased him conscious as he felt a minuscule weight brush against his forehead. He opened his eyes slowly and drowsily moaned while he turned to drive himself up from the hard stone surface of his resting place. He looked up to see a blurry Jordan looking back at him, smirking. He rubbed his eyes and groggily called out to him. "What are you so smug about?"

Jordan let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "Nothing, sleep well?" He asked, nudging Tom with his foot.

Tom looked underneath him and noticed that he was mostly on top of the other gamer, as his head hovered just above Jordan's knees. How did he end up like this; cuddled up around Jordan? Was he this way all night? And did Jordan find him like this? He pushed himself farther away and sat completely straight, making sure to not change his facial expression to convey his slight embarrassment. He returned Jordan's sneer and patted his leg. "Quite well, thanks to you,"

"Pleasure to be of assistance, but I'll be needing these back," he said, pulling his feet from beside Tom to let them swing down. He turned to look around over the edge that he sat on, gazing out over the ocean. He spotted their distant island almost barely, but it definitely was there, just far away and inaccessible.

Tom watched Jordan and followed his gaze out to the sea, remembering their predicament. "How are we supposed to get home?" He asked, as they were a bit stranded at the moment.

Jordan turned back to Tom and sighed. "We may just have to swim for it," he suggested, as it was probably the only thing that they could really do.

Tom frowned and looked down at the water. He didn't especially like that idea, but it was plausible. He reached down over the edge of their platform and let his fingers submerge into the water, getting a feel of the temperature; not too bad. He brought his hand up and flicked a few droplets of water at Jordan. "We could probably do that, but it'll take a while,"

"Well, you still have my depth-strider, remember?" Jordan prompted, kicking at the iron boots lying on the ground. They were his, and he could probably take them back, but he knew that Tom enjoyed them more than he ever would. He would let the younger gamer have the boots.

Tom eyes widened as he recalled that he had taken the enchanted boots from his friend the previous day. Quickly, he reached over and plucked the shoes from the ground and put them on haphazardly. "Man, I love these!" He said, placing his feet in the water while he kicked them about, splashing water everywhere rapidly.

Jordan brought his hand up to shield his face from the seawater flying about. "I see that, but do you think that you can swim back there?" He asked, bringing his hand back down. If Tom could get over to the island quickly, maybe he could just stay here and wait for him to possibly grab him a boat.

"Oh yeah, definitely," Tom answered, taking his feet out of the water to stand up on the edge of the platform. "Can you?"

Jordan shook his head slightly and sighed. "Well, maybe, but I was actually hoping that you could just bring a boat back for me," It was the best idea that his groggy mind could think of at the moment, that, and Tom most likely was already radiating unused energy.

Tom gave Jordan a suspicious glance, but gave in to him, nonetheless. After all, it would most likely take Jordan forever to swim on his own. "Fine, I'll be back in a minute," he said, stepping off of the edge and into the water. "I expect full compensation, though!" He called as he surfaced, already speeding off towards the island.

Jordan smiled as he watched the other loop about the water, splashing at the squids that neared him. He practically clipped through the waves as he swam, as he was almost out of view completely in just a few small minutes. The day had barely even begun, but somehow he knew that it was going to be a game changer, and in the most literal of senses. Whatever it was giving him this nervous anxiety, he hoped that he was prepared for it.

He was not.

* * *

"Is today..?" Tom prompted as he climbed out of his boat and onto the small island containing their Nether portal. He looked back and gave Jordan a look of question. He knew that the other was aching to get into the End and take care of the Dragon, so he would assume that they would settle it today, as there was nothing in their way from completing the task anymore. Today, if any day, was the day to do this.

"...The day? Yeah, I mean, we're ready," replied Jordan, stumbling out of his boat and after Tom, who was making his way onto bridge. They had all of the necessary potions and materials, and then some. All they had to do was collect the items and head over to the portal.

Tom nodded as he crossed the bridge, letting his fingers drum on the cobble rails as he went on. He had yet to make that Notch apple, but an uneasiness still flared in his thoughts, as he did not obtain the feather-falling boots that he so desired. It wasn't much of a deal, or a big one, at least not any more. He had the ability to make the apple, and then eat the said apple if any so time would come for him to need it. And he supposed that a bonus to having the apple was that he could consume it for other means than falling, as a pair of boots could not save him from an angry swarm of self-conscious Endermen. Unless, of course, he had the strength and accuracy to throw them at their faces, but even then, that was a long shot. Yes, the apple would suffice. He would be fine.

"We'll need to make sure that we have everything that we need, though. We have one chance to this, and I would hope that we only need one," Jordan added as they drew nearer to the house. It was true, as the only way back would be to slay the dragon, or perish whilst in the other realm. He would prefer to best the beast, but if they forgot their many potions of strength, that may not come so easy.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Tom replied, opening the door to their house and stepping inside. He went in and moved over to their beds, sitting down to ease the heavy iron boots from his feet. Casting the shoes off to the side, he brought a foot up and laid it across his knee to massage a bit of the ache that had settled in the muscle.

"Nope, not at all," Jordan said, dropping off a few of his miscellaneous items into various chests. "This is our one shot; one opportunity. All the mom's spaghetti we ever wanted," He added, falsely quoting rap lyrics, as he liked to do with that particular song.

"Knees weak," Tom interjected, saying a part that he knew from the song that Jordan was singing. He went back over to the chest near Jordan and sifted through the various pieces of armor, trying to see if any of the engraved enchantments on the gear were able to assist him more than the things he wore currently. Finding nothing, he resorted to four of the many diamonds that he had collected the day prior. He moved over to the crafting table and laid the jewels out, bending them as they conformed into wearable items.

"Arm's spaghetti, there's vomit on his sweater," Jordan continued singing the Eminem song, pilfering a few chests to find use in their contents. "Spaghetti. Mom's spaghetti. He's nervous but on the surface he looks mom's spaghetti," He chanted his remixed lyrics as he shut the chests, finding only a few things that sparked interest. Deciding to pick a little fun, he moved over to serenade Tom with his _beautiful_ voice. "Drop bombs, but he keeps mom's spaghetti, what he wrote down-" he stopped as Tom turned around a shot him an exaggerated glance of irritation.

"Would you shut up!" Tom said, laughing as Jordan pretended to be hurt by his piercing gaze. The other gamer had thought it would be amusing to place himself right in front of him as he finished making his new pair of boots, trying to be as obtrusive as he could possibly be. It wouldn't have bothered him, and it didn't, really, but Jordan had gotten a bit close, and Tom felt a bit awkward with the proximity after he had found himself lounging on him earlier that morning. His cheeks turned a slight shade of red just remembering it the incident. The _accident_, as he would come to think of it.

Jordan quickly darted away from Tom, as the other gamer now tightly gripped a piece of steak in his hand, having switched the diamond boots for the closest weapon to him, which was raw cow, apparently. "Jeez, man. I was just trying to sing you a song!" He said as he backed into the chests directly across from Tom, who was approaching him with the menacing meat.

Tom raised the steak up underneath Jordan's chin, lightly slapping him with it. He ignored the little bit of his conscience warning him not to get too close, but he couldn't help it; these shenanigans had to be dealt with. "What the fuck kind of song was that?" He said, amused with what ridiculousness the other gamer had spouting off but a moment ago. He knew Jordan to get a bit silly at times, but what in the world had he been saying, and just, _why_? Tom laughed again as he looked at Jordan, as he was nonsensical in essence. A catch, certainly.

"Mom's spaghetti," Jordan replied, tilting his head away from the steak that was being held a bit too close to him. To him, Eminem's _Lose Yourself _was just a mix of the original lyrics and a jumblement of "mom's spaghetti's". It was one of the few jokes that he found to never grow old.

Tom chuckled again, leaning against the frame of the door as he brought the meat away from Jordan's face. He should have expected such a response. "I'll knock your mum out, mate!" He cried in a bit of a Scottish accent. He cocked his head to look back at Jordan, who now leaned against the wall adjacent to him.

Jordan raised an eyebrow at Tom, who then took a bite of the steak that he was using to threaten him just a moment before. "Don't you have something to do? Like make a Notch-apple and whatnot?" Jordan prompted, watching as the other gamer's eyes widened as the suggestion dawned on him. He thought it to be a bit funny, as he was practically Tom's personal task manager sometimes.

"Yeah, whatever," Tom scoffed, pretending to roll his eyes. Of course he was about to do that, and he hadn't forgotten it. No way. He slunk over to their food chest, munching his hostile steak as he pushed the items around in the chest, in search for an apple in which to craft with. Turning to Jordan, he frowned at his findings. "We don't have any apples," he reported.

"Tom," Jordan sighed, looking over at the other. Of all the things that they didn't have and needed to get, it was an apple; another measly little setback, although a small one. A manageable one. "We can't be doing this, man,"

Tom spun around to face the other gamer with a false expression of anger and resentment. "Go chop down the trees right now and get me an apple," he said, puffing out his chest to add to his minacious image. He had boots to enchant, so surely Jordan could take care of the apple situation while he took care of his impending task. "If you don't, then I declare you the most awful teammate in the world," he added, stepping towards Jordan again to poke him in the chest accusingly, even though Tom's subconscious told him not to touch the other gamer.

"Yeah?" Jordan said testily, stepping towards his friend to reciprocate the act of defiance. Tom was awful at bullshitting like this. "I'm the worst teammate in the world?" Smirking, he flicked Tom's finger off of his chest and watched as the other gasped in ersatz disgust.

Tom stood still and looked at Jordan, trying his hardest not to break his glare as the other just stood and snickered at him. "I wish you would have died instead," he spat, weaving a tone of intense loathing. Of course he didn't mean it; the scenario just called for the words to be said. If anything, he was overjoyed that Jordan had been the one to survive instead of the others, as bad as that sounded. Although it was the truth, and he had come to accept it. Jordan was his dear teammate, or his profound "OTP or something," as they would say.

"Wow," Jordan said, biting his lip as he turned away from Tom slightly. He knew that there was no truth or validity in Tom's words; it is always purely fun and games. But in the back of his mind, the tauntings sparked a bit of a disturbance, turning the spot sore. "I am the worst teammate on Tiem Reester," he stated, shooting Tom an amused look. Play along, sing a song; it was all well here.

"Absolutely," Tom asserted, struggling to keep his face as hard as stone as its foundation slowly wore down. It wasn't as though he was trying to be spiteful; just humorous. Yet he still felt somewhat bad uttering these hurtful words, even if they were light in tone. He didn't want to say these things, but he couldn't help himself; Jordan was fun to play with. "That lone pig is even better than you,"

Jordan stopped as his train of thought was met with a stream of recollection from a few days before, when he had compared himself to that very pig that Tom referenced now. He laughed as he remembered how he had pitied the pig, but he bit his lip when he was reminded of the envy he had for it, as well. "Well, would that pig go chop down a tree to get his arrogant friend an apple?" He prompted, giving Tom a look of smug questioning.

"Probably, seeing as you won't, and he's better teammate than you. So, yeah," Tom replied, speaking his words hesitantly, yet accentuating them confidently. Most likely, Jordan would give in and just go get the apples if Tom made big enough of a deal out of it. He was happy to see that he had thought correctly, as Jordan turned to a nearby chest and grabbed an axe out of it. He turned to Tom and swung the tool over his shoulder, saying nothing as he moved to go for the door. "I love you!" Tom called after Jordan, hearing a few dissatisfied grumbles emit from the other gamer as he headed towards the opposite side of the island.

With a wave, Jordan dismissed Tom's empty confession and went on to the oak trees that resided by their mob spawner. Taking a glance at the pig as he passed by the animal enclosures, he thought of his recent dwellings on the lone animal. Tom hadn't known that Jordan had thought so deeply about the animal, and didn't know that he had struck the cord with Jordan that induced him to actually go out and get the irksome apple that he needed so. Once Tom had compared the swine to him, he felt compelled to best the pig. Tom was _his _friend that the pig would never come to know and revere, as he had previously concluded; the pig was but a burdenless morsel that knew no friendship. And Tom was and would be always his friend, not that pitiful pig's. The pig would not fight alongside him while he fought the dragon, and he certainly would not retrieve a few scraps of fruit. Jordan would do that, because knew of friendship, and he would never let that knowledge go to waste.

Pulling out the boots that he had fashioned a few moments before, Tom set out of the house in the direction that Jordan had, but stayed within more proximity and just went to the enchanting area. He paused in the entrance and turned his head to look over to the land near the spawner. Sure enough, there was Jordan, wandering about the trees, no doubt in search for apples among them. He laughed to himself as he continued in, tossing the boots onto the table. He flipped through the pages and chose a random one, watching as the boots grew a purple, shimmering glow. He plucked the shoes off of the open book and turned them to their soles, checking the enchantment. "You've got to be kidding me," he groaned, letting his arms fall down to his sides. _Depth Strider I._

Jordan peered through the winding branches of the oak tree in front of him, searching for a distinct contrast of color. Having spotted a shine of red up on a tall branch, Jordan tossed his axe to the side. He wasn't going to chop a whole tree down for a measly apple; it was a complete waste of energy and an axe. He grabbed onto one of the lower branches and brought his foot to the trunk, pushing himself up onto the limb. He grappled up a few more, traversing the height of the tree a branch at a time. It would be truly dire if he were to fall and hurt himself, the day that they were to fight the dragon. Reaching the fruit, he stuck his arm out and plucked it from the tree's hold, tucking it into his bag as he began to descend through the branches. _Tom better be happy_.

Defeated, Tom came out of the Enchanting area to find Jordan walking past. "Dude, come look at this," he called, holding out the boots for Jordan to see. They were definitely a waste, now, seeing as there were -hopefully- no other temples in the area. He had crafted the boots in wish of getting another chance at the feather-falling, but alas, the world would not have it. He just could not get the boots that he so desired.

Jordan took the boots from Tom and turned them to their soles, laughing as he read the engraving. "Good job. These will really help," he said, handing them back.

"Do you want them?" Tom asked, letting Jordan place them into his hands. Seeing as though he still possessed Jordan's original depth-strider, perhaps he would want these boots instead. Hopefully.

Jordan gave Tom a look of confusion and shook his head. The ability to tread quickly over water was helpful and cool, but they didn't really need it now. "I think I'll be alright,"

Tom shrugged and turned around to face the small inland river that he and Sonja had fashioned, tossing them into the current that flowed out to sea. "Let's see how fast they go in the water now," he commented with a small laugh, watching as they tumbled out into the ocean, inevitably sinking into its depths.

"A waste," Jordan commented as he laughed, glancing at Tom as he stood proudly. A good four diamonds now sat at the sandy bottom of the ocean, never to be used or seen again. Great.

"What do we have left to do?" Tom asked, turning back to face Jordan. Now that his useless attempt to try and salvage some of his hopes had been spent, they may as well get along a bit further in their preparation process.

Jordan shifted his weight over to one foot, trying to think of what it was that they had left to do. As much as Tom probably didn't want to, they could gather some climbing supplies, possibly. "Should we make ladders?" He asked.

"I don't see why not," Tom replied, moving towards the house. "While you do that, I can make my apple," he added, pushing through the door. Although the ladders would be nice, as then he had something to hold onto unlike bland block stacking, he had some of his own priorities to handle.

"Alright-y then," Jordan said, entering after Tom. He took the apple out of his bag and handed it to Tom, who inspected it thoroughly.

Tom held the apple up to his face, looking at the fruit from all angles. The fruit was flawless in color and shape, as most normal apples weren't. "This couldn't be more perfect, good job," he commented, tossing the apple over to the crafting table.

"And you just-" Jordan blurted, pointing to where the fruit had landed. _Of course, he would compliment it and then practically destroy it; after all we did to get the supplies for that stupid apple_.

Tom headed to the chest that he stored their golden blocks from when they came home and glanced back to look at Jordan, who was seethed with vexation. "Make your ladders, boy," he said, turning back to grab the blocks out of the chest.

Jordan shook his head in dismissal of the other gamer and took some wooden planks from his bag, placing them on the crafting table. Quickly, he made dozens of sticks, some overflowing the bench and onto the floor. He cursed as they clanked about, making distracting noise. He turned to glance at Tom, who had an eyebrow raised at Jordan's silly little problem. _In _game, contrasting to just playing it on the computer, crafting had to be broken down into steps. He couldn't mass-produce something, as there wouldn't be enough room to keep it as he worked. Sometimes he forgot about that little notion, like now.

"Good job, Jar-dan," Tom chimed, moving over to the crafting table to help clear the wooden rods away by taking armfuls over to the throw onto beds and in front of the furnaces. He often made the same mistake and made too much of something at one time, but never in such a large quantity. What was Jordan thinking? Or he supposed that the other gamer was _not_ thinking.

"I done goofed," Jordan said with a small laugh, kicking at various sticks that littered the floor.

Tom tip toed over the rods to place himself by Jordan, trying to get over to the other gamer without falling over with the many obstructions on the ground. "You sure did," he replied, looking up from the floor to scold Jordan. While he was helping him move the sticks to a desolate location, Jordan had piled the rods in Tom's way. Now, he had to be watchful of his steps as he attempted to get over to his friend, which ultimately didn't work. As he looked from the ground to Jordan, he misplaced his foot on top on a stick, sending him flailing to the floor.

Luckily, Jordan spotted Tom's fault before he did. In a clumsy pursuit to aide him, Jordan reached out to try and steady Tom by grabbing his arm, but the added force was pushed back onto him, driving him backwards. The two of them fell to the floor, Jordan landing on the hard forms of the sticks, and Tom on top of him. He gasped as his back fell especially hard onto a rod, knocking his breath out of his lungs. "Fuck," he said, trying to breathe in, but failing.

"J-Jordan," Tom said, trying to push himself off of the other gamer, finding it a bit discomfortable that he lay strewn on him. Trying to place his hand on the ground, he accidentally put his weight on a stick that rolled from his hand, which brought him to fall back down. "Sorry," he said, as Jordan groaned.

Regaining his ability to breath, Jordan sucked in some air and glared at Tom, who was still on him. "What," he paused, shifting to try and move the sticks from their position beneath him. "What are you doing?"

Tom looked around and shoved the rods that surrounded them, getting a good stance on the floor. Finally, he was able to lift himself off of the other gamer and stand. "I- uh, I didn't mean to," Tom said, his face turning a slight shade of pink. _So much for avoiding close encounters..._

Jordan sat up and put a hand to his back, rubbing as to get rid of the dents that felt as though they had been created. The fall wouldn't have hurt as much if he had his armor on, but it wasn't exactly time for that in their process of preparation. Then, of course, there was the added weight from dear Syndicate, who was initially the one who drove him down. "Jeez, man," he said, turning about to work the form of the sticks out of his back.

"Sorry," Tom repeated, offering his hand to help the other gamer up off of the floor. Twice, let alone once, would be too many times today for him to let himself get that close to Jordan. It wasn't bad by any means; it was just awkward, as they had been all too embarrassing encounters. The touch of Jordan gave him a dull, warmly intoxicating feeling that spread throughout him, automatically yielding him red and a bit conscious. With these symptoms, he could only diagnose 'embarrassment' to be feeling that he experienced, and he didn't like to feel that way. It was unpleasant and sour, even though the encounter itself was cloying.

Jordan took the outstretched hand, letting it guide him up from his unfortunate place on the floor. Now on his feet, he stood next to Tom and looked at all of the sticks. "Want to help me make some ladders?" He prompted with a small laugh, picking up seven sticks to place on the crafting table.

"Yeah, sure," Tom scoffed, turning to walk out of the house. He had his apple to make, and after he fell, he was done with those stupid sticks. He made it through the doors, strolling out to the side of the house to man the crafting table that he had forgotten out there a while back. He reached into his bag, feeling around for the cool kiss of the golden blocks. Pulling them out, he reached in for his apple, but soon remembered that it was left under the mess of sticks inside the house.

He groaned, slumping down to sit on the workbench. He rubbed his eyes, sighing to himself. What was his deal? All day, he had been making stupid choices and hiccups, small ones, yes, but they still had been made. Even in his sleep, he managed to make himself look like a complete fool. Although, thinking about it a bit deeper, he realized that Jordan probably didn't think of it that way. After all, Jordan wasn't the judging type when it came to Tom's faults, and even when he did point them out, it was solely for light banter. Lifting his chin, Tom leaned against the wall, folding his hands into his lap. Even if he managed to convince himself that it was just an off day, he couldn't shake the odd feeling that crept in the back of his mind. It wasn't anxiety as he had thought it to possibly be, but something a bit more vague and unattributable. Hearing a noise, he turned and looked to his left, seeing Jordan holding a red object.

"Need this?" Jordan asked, tossing the apple to Tom. He had managed to get half of the sticks into the forms of ladders, making a good stack. There were still plenty left over that he was able to cram into a chest, but he had to put it on Sonja's bed, as there was no more room on their walls. After he had sorted that out, he had gotten a little confused when Tom hadn't returned after a few minutes. Then he found the apple and understood, as he was probably looking for it in his bag. Yet when he came outside, it seemed as though the apple were the farthest thing from the other gamer's mind.

Tom caught the apple, giving it another light toss and letting it fall back into his hand. "Thanks mate," He said, scooting off the table in order to use it. Jordan moved over beside him as he picked the gold blocks off of their resting place on the ground, surrounding the apple with the condensed ores. The table did its bit of magic, thinning the blocks into shimmering edible sheets that Tom could then wrap around the piece of fruit. Holding the apple up, he inspected it, making sure that all red parts were covered and concealed. He let out a small laugh as he saw a fraction of his reflection in the foil. This was him, and the apple his savior; his dependence.

Jordan watched as Tom fiddled with the apple, situating it into his bag. "All that's left is gathering the potions and some blocks," he commented as Tom looked up at him.

"Let's do it, then," Tom replied with a light smile, following Jordan as he led him back into the house. As long as he had the potions, he was good to go. He had his apple, his sword, his bow; everything. He felt a nagging desire to just go and be done with the dragon, as Jordan had had for the past few days. It sort of made him understand the drive that Jordan could acquire; an ache to be finished and relieved of a task. Especially one that was dire, like theirs.

Jordan strode through the ajar doors, heading to the left wall of chests. Opening one of the top ones, he pulled out a few stacks of Netherrack, handing some to Tom. He needed to be sure that the both them were evenly equipped, as they needed to make sure that all measures were able to be met with the highest level of accuracy and availability. That and it was just a bit fair.

Receiving the bundle of rocks from Jordan, Tom moved over to the other side of the room to rummage through the alchemy chest. He retrieved the brewings that Jordan had made the previous day, halving them by type as he organized the on the floor. "Does this look good to you?" He asked, indicating the potion rations.

Jordan turned from the chests and looked over the potions that Tom had sorted. "No, why do you get two regen's? You have the two Notch apples," he said, using his foot to drag one of Tom's regeneration potions over to his pile.

"Oh, I didn't see that," Tom answered, looking at the brewing more closely. It was hard to tell which ones were which, as they all shone a purple glow, as well as sharing the base color of pink. Why some couldn't be yellow or possibly green was beyond him. "Yeah, take it,"

Jordan nodded and bent over to pick up his potions, all strength I-II's and regenerations. He put them into his bag, which began to weigh quite a bit. He had a lot of items in there, as if it were his last trip, he may as well take whatever he may need. After all, there was no returning for food if he forgot it. He'd have to wait until they defeated the dragon to go back and eat, and if he died, well, he wouldn't need the food, anyway. Besides, if he did die, he would at least have enough supplies to keep Tom going, but he didn't like to think of that as a benefit. Dying was not -in any way- beneficial for them. If he, or Tom, for that matter, were to die, the team would be in peril. "Got all you need?"

Tom looked up at Jordan, having put all of his items in his bag already. He went through his mental checklist for the End, trying to think of anything else that they needed. They had their swords and pick axes on their belts, bows strung on their shoulders, foods, pots, and blocks in their bags. "What about water buckets, or pumpkins?" He offered, thinking of the many Endermen that littered the End.

"We only have that one pumpkin," he said, peering through the open doors to see the little mannequin that had been sent down to them. "But water should be fine,"

Tom nodded and took out a few bottles from the alchemy chest that he had been in a moment ago. They couldn't very well carry several filled pails to the End, seeing as they were bulky and obtrusive. All they needed was just a little bit of water, seeing as just a flick of the liquid was acid enough to the lanky mobs to send them fleeing. They already had two bottles pre-filled, so he handed one to Jordan and kept the other. "So are we set, then?" He asked, leaning against the chest.

Jordan looked around the room, searching the walls as though they might have held signs of things that they needed, but they did no such thing. From his own knowledge, the only things that they lacked were the protective diamond gear that was scattered across their lodging. "Just the armor," He said.

"Well, of course, but there's nothing else?" Tom asked, feeling as though there was something important that had slipped his mind. Becoming slightly aware of where he was as he racked his mind for the answer, he flew around and opened the chest that he had been reclining on. Sighing, he took out the Eyes of Ender and held them out for Jordan to see. "Wouldn't that have been terrible?"

"Oh god, I didn't even think about those," Jordan confessed, making a face of slight embarrassment. He could only imagine them going out all the way to the portal, lacking the lone items that could activate it. Very bad. "Wow,"

"Yeah," Tom said, tucking the fleshy disks into his bag. He moved over to Sonja's bed, plucking his chunks of armor off of the floor beside it. He watched as Jordan did the same for his armor, picking it up off of the ground to begin putting it on.

"Not going to wear the depth-strider? That's a shame," Jordan teased as he saw Tom put on his old boots; the ones that could actually assist him with their new quest.

"Oh, excuse me for valuing my life," Tom said, laughing as he went on to strap his greaves and cuisses onto his legs. "I'd like to actually come out alive,"

"So would I," Jordan replied, pulling his chest plate over his head, fastening it with ease. "But I made those for you, and it's just hurting my feelings that you aren't going to wear them,"

Scoffing, Tom grabbed a small piece of pork from his bag and launched it at Jordan's face, hearing it collide with a good _slap_. "Yeah? Good." He said, for lack of a better comeback. "Your feelings are stupid,"

Jordan pried the meat from his face, letting it flop to the floor. "What if I feel that team Syndisparklez is going to kick ass today?" He suggested, testing Tom's reprimand.

"That's a collective feeling; _yours_ suck," Tom stated with a roll of his eyes, as though the knowledge was common. He, too, felt quite positively of their upcoming battle, as they were a bit over prepared for it. Although, the anxious feeling still remained from earlier, even though this new confidence was present. "Therefore, it does not count as stupid,"

"Gotcha," Jordan said, chuckling to himself. Tom could certainly find loopholes in his words, alright. Perhaps he wouldn't be that bad of a lawyer, but he would be. Tom wasn't exactly the serious type, and as Jordan had assumed, to be a lawyer, you had to refrain from cursing out anyone who disagreed with you.

Putting on his last armor piece, his helmet, Tom checked his fastenings and shook about; making sure that nothing had gotten too loose. Thankfully, he had been able to get his chest plate on his own. Jordan was not needed to mother him, this time. "Do you want me to head over and load the stuff in while you finish up?" He asked, addressing Jordan's slowness of adorning himself with his armor.

"The Eyes?" Jordan asked, nearly falling over as he tried to put his boot on. Why would Tom want to go off and do it by himself? "I mean, I'd like to be there,"

"Well yeah," Tom said, drumming his fingers on the bed, deciding to lay back onto the sheets as he waited. "What if I messed up, like I dropped one of the eyes into the lava, and then you would come and I'd be like, 'Jar-dan, I'm sorry, Jar-dan,'" he described the scene, imagining Jordan's face if he revealed the news. If Tom were to perish at any time of the series, it would be at that moment.

"Don't-" Jordan paused, shaking his head. "Don't even say that," he laughed, picturing the spectacle. The anger he would experience in that moment would most likely be ravaging and uncontrollable, and the sheer thought of such a scenario made his skin crawl. Most likely, he would resort to tossing Tom into the pool of lava after the eye. Then again, he may as well jump in after Tom, as he would have then lost a teammate, as well as an eye, rendering him a bit more helpless. All around; great. Perfectly great.

Tom muttered as he turned onto his side on the bed, looking up at Jordan. The other gamer had gotten his gauntlets finished up, and was now ready for their battle. "Now are we ready?" He all but whined, poking Jordan's leg.

"Yeah, Tom," Jordan replied, standing to check his efficiency of his strappings. "Let's go,"

"Fuck yes,"

* * *

Tom lunged out from his boat and into the water, diving down through the cold sea to the floating box that was their End Portal. He broke through the curtain of current and into the small space, coughing as he regained his breath. He turned and saw Jordan stumble out of the water into the room after him, nearly falling to the floor. He reached into his bag and took out six of the eyes, handing them over to the older gamer. "You do half, I do the other?"

Jordan nodded, taking the stack from Tom. "Sounds good," he said as he went around the left side, placing five of his six down. The breathed deeply as he put the fifth down, tapping rhythmically on the last. He circled back around to the front of the room, back to the stairs that lead up to the portal. They were here; they were doing it. Today was the mark of a new day, a real turning point, and they were at the very brink of it.

Tom glanced over at Jordan, watching as he climbed the few steps up. His friend turned to him and sighed, motioning for Tom to join him. Smiling, he moved to go up the flight and position himself to the right of Jordan. "Ready?" He asked, holding up his remaining eye. This was it.

"As I'll ever be," Jordan said as he raised his and tapped it against Tom's in a mock show of "cheers," and together they bent down to place the eyes on the last two altars. Instantly, a black swarm flashed over top of the pool of lava, a distant, starry sky splaying below them. "Oh boy," he murmured under his breath, preparing himself for what they were about to do; what they were about to jump into. He held his hand up, the one that previously held the eye, inviting Tom to grasp it. "Together? Don't fake me out and trick me into going in without you," he said, raising an eyebrow at the other gamer.

Tom looked down at the offered hand and took hold of it, squeezing it gently. "Of course I wouldn't; we're doing this together. Syndisparklez-style," he replied, giving Jordan a look of confidence. Regardless of what happened when they stepped off, Tom was going to be by Jordan's side, until their -or the dragon's- end. He would not let them go. So long as he grasped Jordan's hand, he was with him one hundred percent. Therefore, he would never let go. Well, figuratively. He'd need two hands to fire a bow.

Jordan smiled back at Tom, then looked down at their feet. "Count of three?" He suggested, returning the squeeze.

"One," Tom began, stepping forward to line his ties up with the edge of the stone bricks that made up the staircase.

"Two," Jordan followed, staying right beside Tom.

Both of them breathed deeply and turned their faces to each other, exchanging slight smirks.

"Three,"

* * *

Jordan grunted as he tumbled onto the coarse Endstone floor, the portal flinging him and Tom into a small cave carved of the yellowish rock. Rolling over off of his side, he sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Tom?" He called, looking over but not seeing the other on the ground with him. "Tom?" He called again, but with worry infused into his tone. Could the portal have messed up, and Tom didn't make it through? That had happened to him before, as he fell right into the lava and burned to a crisp. But of course, that was before the reality version had come about, so it was just his player model that faces the fire. Now, it could very well be _Tom_ that would burn.

"I'm over here!" Tom yelled back, stumbling on a land mass across from the cave. Unlike Jordan, the portal popped him out on his feet, so he had taken his opportunity to Ender pearl over to a segment of land parallel to their enclosure.

"Really?" Jordan groaned to himself, as he had figured that Tom would have taken a few extra Ender pearls. It was as expected, anyway. He was just glad that he was at least here, and not dead like he had reasoned. He stood up from the floor and made his way to the adjoining wall, digging up through the stone to make a staircase.

Climbing up the edge of the side of the peninsula he teleported to, Tom made his way to the mainland of the floating island. Reaching the top, he looked up to the swirling purple sky and heard a deep grumble of a roar. Tom smiled, filling with energy. He felt he atmosphere buzz inside him as he looked around the area, taking in the flocks of Endermen and billowing pillars. They were here, and it was time.

Jordan broke through the last bit of the Endstone and surfaced, moving to go stand by Tom, who gazed over the area. He pulled his bow off of his shoulder and grabbed a few arrows from his bag, placing one in the quiver. "Do you want to get those few, and I'll get these over here?" He suggested, nodding over his left, indicating the pillars over in that direction would be the ones that he would take down.

Tom hummed in agreement, taking out his bow as well. He looked around to his right and raised the weapon, letting an arrow soar to the top of the brick towers. The arrow collided with regeneration block and emitted a ping, disabling its abilities. He stepped away from Jordan, moving to get better angles at the other towers, sending arrows at their tips. He managed to get three more, but he heard a yelp from Jordan. Turning, he saw an Enderman trying to attack his friend.

"Tom!" Jordan yelled, taking out his sword to fend himself from a few of the lanky creatures that he accidentally made eye contact with. "We need to make the defense things," he called once he had cut through the offenders. He had almost forgotten about the predicament that was the surplus of Enderman, and how they could be a bit bothersome if you so much as glanced at them during the battle.

"Yeah, can you do that? I'm dealing with these," Tom said, referring to his duty of impairing the regenerators. He was on a roll, as he had broken at least half of his assigned stations with his enchanted bow. He really wished that the real world had such useful devices, such as rapid washing machines or fire-proof socks. That would be helpful.

Jordan nodded, facing the ground while he dug up some more of the Endstone, as that was the type of stone that the dragon could not disturb. Thinking of the beast, he turned to the sky and searched the fog for its shape, but it was not visible. Perhaps it was not aware of their arrival, but that was unlikely as they had destroyed some of the dragon's power sources. Quickly, though, he realized that it wasn't the case, as a sensuous flapping echoed behind him. Before he had a chance to duck, a wing as big as a car struck his back as the dragon swooped down, knocking him to the ground forcefully.

Hearing a yell come from behind him, Tom turned to see the dragon flying up into the air away from them. _Fuck, _he thought, as he noticed that his friend lay sprawled on the Endstone, unmoving. "Jordan?" He called, panic seeping into his voice. He couldn't have had this calamity befall him this early into the quest, could he? Dismayed, he dropped his bow back onto his shoulder and ran over to Jordan. Relief diffused through his entire being as he heard the other groan when he got closer. He was alive; good. "Are you okay?" He asked, dropping down to his knee to inspect him. He gasped when he saw blood, as there was quite a bit covering Jordan's chest plate. _Fuck, fuck, fuck!_

"Damn," Jordan said, trying to sitting up. His eyes widened as a fiery pain exploded from his left side, and he looked down to find red seeping from the blue chains in his armor. "Damn," he repeated, poking his finger into the chinks. Yeah, he was bleeding pretty badly, and it seemed as though some skin had been torn. "His spike must have gotten me," he concluded, taking a sharp breath as he attempted to rise to his feet.

"Well, be careful, yeah?" Tom said, letting Jordan use his shoulder for support. If Jordan were to be hit again, or to get gang-banged by those Endermen, he may have to sit out for the rest of the fight, or at least Tom would make him. Then again, if Jordan got attacked again, there may be no partner for him to have to protect at all. He swallowed hard as Jordan pushed off of him, going back to mining. "Be careful," he whispered barely loud enough for him to hear himself.

Jordan nodded to Tom's initial warning, wincing slightly as he bent to collect the fallen Endstone. The area was beginning to numb, rendering the pain to a dull throb, so he would be able to continue, but he would need to be cautious. This was going to be a bit problematic, as it seemed. Regardless, he'd address it, but in the mean time he'd have to push on and ignore it. As Tom moved to go and take down of the towers and the Dragon soared somewhere above, he stacked up the Endstone, making their anti-Enderman mushroom structures. After he had made two, he set out the left side of the pillars, trying to contribute to their downfall, as well.

Tom looked over his shoulder, spotting Jordan taking out some of the towers. He seemed to be faring pretty well, injury and all. Jordan was strong, nevertheless. Very strong, as the other gamer had motivation of steel. He continued to look him over, although out the corner of his eye, he saw a dark shape dive down from the sky. "Jordan, watch out!" He called, as the dragon was headed right for the other gamer. It must have realized that Jordan was injured, as it seemed to want to take him out. He took a few steps in Jordan's direction, anticipating the scene anxiously, hoping that his friend was able to hear him.

Jordan turned in time, dodging as the dragon swooped down again. "Goddamnit!" He shouted as he took cover under the Endstone mushroom. He cringed as his inflamed skin was flexed, wounding it a bit more with the sudden movement. "Shoot him, Tom!" He yelled, leaning against the support girder in the middle of the structure.

"I'll try!" Tom shouted back, firing a few arrows at the dragon as it flew over ahead, screeching in indignation. Two of the three shot were able to penetrate the beast's scales, hindering its flight slightly. Yet that didn't matter, as a beam of light shot out from one of the regeneration towers off in the distance. As it appeared, they still had a few to get.

Jordan stepped out from the safety of the mini-fort and grabbed his bow from where it had fallen when he dashed away. He jogged away from Tom a bit, trying to spot any other active towers. Seeing one, he pulled an arrow into the quiver, shooting it at the peak, although his arrow was not the one that took it out. "Hey, that was mine!" He called over to Tom, who stood parallel to him a few yards away.

"It's not my fault you're too slow," Tom replied, sticking his tongue out, making light banter.

Jordan shook his head and laughed, looking to find another stray beam. Having spotted one, he glance over to Tom, who had seen it as well. Hurriedly, he took out another arrow, shooting it at the top of the tower. Due to his rush, though, his aim was off slightly, and he hit the tower instead of the regeneration block. He cursed as he watched Tom's arrow struck it, switching off the beam. "Damn you, Tom. Damn you," he said, defeated.

Tom smirked, twirling his next arrow in his hand as if it were a baton. "Jealous of my mad skills, are you, Sparklez?" He teased, tossing the projectile into the air, tilting his head back to catch it in his teeth, but he missed and the arrow smacked him right in the forehead.

"Totally," Jordan replied, laughing as he watched Tom rub his reddened forehead. He looked back up as he heard a roar, seeing as the dragon had returned. He and Tom ran over to a nearby pillar as the Dragon dove down, his wing missing Tom's head by an inch.

"Fucking hell, he almost decapitated me!" Tom shouted, picking up a rock to throw at the dragon. Perhaps it wasn't after one of them in particular, after all. Either way, he still wanted to slay the shit out of it, whether if it were after Jordan or the both of them. This bitch was going down.

"Have we gotten all of the towers?" Jordan asked, shooting at the dragon as he flew on into the purplish fog. Hopefully they had, as now it would make killing the dragon a manageable task.

Tom looked around, searching for beams of light that would outstretch to the dragon, but none were found. "I think so," he said, moving away from the pillar as he shot off a few arrows at the dragon as it looped around. It looked as though they were doing damage, now that the creature had no means of healing itself. "What should we name him?" He questioned as the dragon bellowed in anguish as more arrows pierced his thick hide.

Jordan pulled out his sword as the nameless dragon began to descend upon them once again, deciding that his enhanced sword could probably yield more harm than his bland bow. "I don't know, what do you have in mind?" He asked, as he was sure Tom could think of a better name for their opponent than he could; Tom was creative like that.

Tom shifted his weight onto one foot and grabbed at his chin, concentrating on possibilities. James? Bernard? Jonathan? Ralph? _Ralph_, he decided, as he believed the name to suit the dragon's features, in a way. He didn't exactly know how. "Ralph!" He yelled up at the creature, picking his bow up to shoot at it. "Die, Ralph!"

Jordan swiped at the Ralph's underside as he rushed them, ducking to avoid another collision with his wing. He watched as Tom sent more arrows at his flank, but they were batted with his tail. "Shit," Jordan said, switching out his sword for his bow. The dragon was certainly unhappy, as well as wounded, as he kept looping around for repeated attacks. Perhaps he didn't like his new name.

"Watch him while I take care of these guys," Tom said, moving away from Jordan to take out some Endermen that he had accidentally glanced at when he picked up the rock. He trotted back to the mushroom and crouched down, watching as the angered mobs teleported after him. Once they had gathered around the shelter He sliced through the gangly limbs that were thrown in his way, turning the creatures to dust. Quickly, he bent down to pick up an Ender pearl that had been dropped and returned to Jordan, placing the pearl in the spot that the previous one had been. Wasn't a bad idea for him to collect some, seeing as they were here, anyway.

Not hearing what Tom had said, Jordan looked over his shoulder to try and figure out where the other gamer had gone to. "Tom?" he called, peering through the maze of pillars to try and spot his missing companion. He spotted the central area where he had built the Enderman defenses, and there he saw the image of Tom. Sighing in relief, he called out to him again, but a bit more loudly. "Tom!"

Tom turned around at the sound of his name to see that Jordan had been yelling for him, as well as Ralph, who was plunging down again. The other gamer must have been oblivious to the oncoming beast, as Jordan just stood still, trying to catch Tom's attention. Well, he certainly had it, as Tom not stood screaming for his friend to move. _How hard is it to see a giant fucking dragon when it is aimed for your head? _"Jordan! Move, goddamnit!"

At the notion, Jordan turned to see Ralph snarling and spitting, and sure enough, right behind him. Again, he dove to the ground as the dragon pursued him. "Fuck," he murmured as he felt his existing wound flare, and a bit of wetness gathered in his eyes. They really needed to get this over with, or else he could risk quite a bit of blood loss. He was already injured as it was, and why Ralph kept after him was beyond him. After all, he wasn't the one who gave him that ridiculous alias. But of course, this was a dragon, and he probably wasn't even aware of such domesticities that were names and titles. Most likely, he was after them purely on the basis that he was a predator, and they were currently on his territory. Technicalities, technicalities.

Tom watched as the other gamer flung himself onto the ground as the beats soared just a foot above him, roaring out in fury. It was a close call, and entirely too close. Ralph, by now, must have been completely fed up with their antics and intrusions. Tom exchanged his sword for his bow and loaded it up, firing a few arrows at the beast as he ascended back up into the air. His left wing shook as one of the arrows struck it, impairing Ralph's flight. The dragon now had to stay a bit closer to the ground, as now it could not elevate much higher with the wounded wing. For them, it meant sticking to melee warfare.

Jordan stood up and brushed some dust off of himself and looked over to Tom, meeting his gaze. He quickly looked up to the sky, checking to make sure that it was safe to leave the cover of the pillars. The dragon hovered to his left, perching on a small tower. For now, it was safe to run over.

As the other gamer headed for him, Tom raised his bow and took a few more shots at the dragon, ensuring Jordan's cover. He and and Jordan retreated under the anti-Enderman defense, each leaning against a side of the support girder. They stood there for a few moments in an anxious silence, regaining their breath. "You good?" He asked, breaking the reticence as he placed a steady hand on the spot of Jordan's reddened armor. The wound felt warm and sticky through the chinks, pulsating faintly.

Jordan looked down at the gentle hand pressing on his side and hissed lowly; even the slightest pressure was adverse. He bit his tongue and swallowed the pain, giving Tom an encouraging glance despite it all. "I'm fine, I'll be alright," he said, patting Tom's hand in assurance.

Tom saw the flicker of strain in Jordan's eyes, and knew that he lying for his sake. What did he expect Jordan to say? _Oh, yeah, Tom. I can't do anything more because I'm hurt and stuff. Have fun finishing the dragon by yourself. I'll sit here and watch, have fun. _No, Jordan wasn't one to say -or even think- such a thing. It just wasn't him; he wasn't one to quit or give in. Tom nodded, accepting the lie. If Jordan wanted to push on, then he couldn't stop him, he'd just have to make sure that he didn't push too hard. "You sure?" He asked, withdrawing his hand.

Jordan bit his lip and nodded; he could do this, and if not, he would try. Besides, if they take care of Ralph soon, it wouldn't become too large of an impending issue. "Yeah, let's just finish this bastard," he replied, stepping out from the protection of the structure. Instantaneously, Ralph screamed out and flapped his wings menacingly, almost on cue.

Tom followed after Jordan, tightening his grip on his sword until his knuckles turned white. The dragon swooped off his mount and came down upon the two of the them, pursuing them in an attack. He and Jordan took a defensive stance, tipping their swords up in preparation for the onslaught. Ralph charged them, and as he came down, they both stuck their swords at his stomach, earning a cry from him as his hide was slit deeply. "Take that, bitch!" He yelled as Ralph stalled. "You pussy!"

Jordan watched as the dragon turned around, descending for a final attack. His stomach leaked a dark purple goop, a substance that he could only imagine to be a mixture of innards and blood. Yes, he would most likely be eliminated after this last attack. "This is the last stand, Tom. He's going down," he said, swinging his sword to re-grip the hilt.

Tom laughed as Ralph growled. "Let's do this, then," he said, glancing at Jordan, who smiled at him. "I'm glad to have worked with you today, Mr. Sparklez," he added, giving the other gamer an appreciative nod. Through it all, Jordan remained beside him, and he was glad to share this congenial moment with him.

"Team SyndiSparklez, right?" Jordan said, grinning. He was pleased to be here with Tom, even if they were fighting for their lives. It certainly beat defeating the dragon by himself, and he would take Tom over any other person. It was basal knowledge by now, and he could feel its relevance and veracity in half a heartbeat.

"You're damn right," Tom said confidently, turning away from Jordan to face Ralph, who drew nearer by the second. He and Jordan both took their stances again, getting their swords ready. The dragon came overhead, and they drove their swords back up into his underside. Screeching, Ralph's wings sputtered and he crashed down into the ground a few yards ahead of them. "Fuck yes!" he yelled, jumping up into the air and pumping his fist.

"Dude, we did it!" Jordan exclaimed, dropping his bloodied sword. After many protracted days of tedious and trite preparation, he finally stood with their second target completed and delivered at their feet. It was bittersweet, though, as the victory cost him a good bit of health, and he may very well not heal fully before they got to the Wither, but Jordan didn't even want to think ahead to the next boss battle. He needed to let the excitement from this one saturate, first.

"We fucking did!" Tom yelled as he ran over to the dragon as it took its last few breaths, life still slowly seeping away as it struggled to stand back up. Taking pity upon the creature, Tom stuck his sword into Ralph's chest, letting him find peace. As he did so, Jordan came to his side and the dragon's eyes flitted closed, his body erupting into a bright light. He and Jordan shielded their eyes as the purple luminance became overpowering, eventually fading down to a small dark circle as the egg was revealed, and behind it the portal back home. Upon seeing their trophy, Tom grew rapturous with excitement. The success was saccharine, euphoric in the revelation. The buzz of success coursed through his being, charging him with an uncontrollable burst of energy. Without thinking, he turned to Jordan and grabbed him by the face, pulling him into a fiery embrace at the lips.

The movement was sudden and certainly unanticipated, as Jordan now found himself strung up about Tom, by the mouth, of all places he could find himself with the other gamer. His first instinct was to jerk away and confront his aggressor, but he found his head too full of swarming emotions to do anything but stand still and blink blankly. Although, as he was being held by his friend, he found himself relax to the point where he closed his eyes and his body gave into the other. He was kissing Tom back.

Soon, Tom eyes snapped open as he regained his conscience, baffled to find himself in the situation that he was in. What was he doing? Why was he kissing Jordan? _How did he end up kissing Jordan?_ Jordan! His friend, his goddamned friend! Yet here he was -here they were- surrounded by Endermen in the fucking End, lips locked like a middle school couple. He released his grip on the other gamer and stumbled back, facial expression showing nothing but pure shock. "I-" he stuttered, moving his eyes down to avoid Jordan's gaze. Surely it was angry and confused, as that was all that he could picture it. "I'm sorry," he said, turning and running away. He spotted the exit portal and hurdled through without so much as a glance back. _I fucked up._

Jordan stood and watched as Tom disappeared, still too stunned to run after him or even call out for him to stop. All he could manage to do was gawk with his mouth slightly open. _What in the actual fuck just happened, _he thought, although he knew what happened; Tom had kissed him, and he had kissed Tom. He just couldn't process it. Perhaps he had just imagined it, as he had gotten overwhelmed with pride and happiness that his mind tricked him into thinking such a thing had happened. Then again, that meant that his subconscious's idea of expressing extreme happiness was by making out with one of his closest friends, and that didn't seem quite right. No, it had happened, and he let it. Well, why wouldn't he? It wasn't all that bad, anyway. It was a cloying surrender; a satisfying occurrence that was tugging at him in multiple ways. But why did he feel this content? Had he liked it? Did he subliminally accept, because part of him wanted it?

Tom was spat out of the portal recklessly, and he landed on the floor of the room a little too forcefully. he winced as he picked himself up, rubbing his head as he moved to lean against the wall. The past few moments felt almost too surreal for him to understand or even attempt to comprehend, yet they circled in his mind, encompassing him. What was he thinking? More importantly, what was Jordan thinking? How mad must he be? How confused? Certainly not as confused as Tom was, though. Where had those impulses come from? And what made him think that it was the slightest bit okay for him to act on them? Tom turned to face the brick wall, resting his forehead against the cool stone. He brought his hand up to his lips and touched the softly, letting his fingers drum on their surface. He could still feel the warmth of the other pair on his own, and a rush of affectionate emotion and tingling swept over him as he reimagened the scene. He groaned as the feeling passed through him, uncomfortable with its presence. Now, it was clear to him that there was possibly an underlying appetency there. He acted on a hidden desire that he wasn't even aware of; he had feelings for Jordan.

The thoughts built up onto each other, making Jordan dizzy to the point that he needed to sit. From the blood loss and his current predicament, his head swam in a throbbing haze. Squatting down on the Endstone, Jordan slipped off his chest plate, wincing as the cloth of his shirt rubbed the wound. He looked down at the bloodstained cloth and peeled it off of the frayed skin, lifting the shirt to investigate further. Grimacing as he saw it, he realized how lucky he was. Ralph's wing had had clipped him about the waist, creating a gash three inches long and half an inch wide, and surprisingly, it wasn't as deep as it could have been. Sighing, Jordan took off his blazer and tore the bottom into strips, tying them around to serve as bandages. Thankfully, he had experience in past games from other times when he had gotten careless, so patching this was particularly easy. Although he wished that he hadn't had to do it alone.

Jordan pulled himself up off of the ground and sauntered over to the mushroom-like structure, wadding up his jacket and tossing it aside. Seeing as it was ripped and soaked with his blood, he wouldn't wear it any longer. And like all the clothing that gets ruined, it'll be replaced the next day; good as new. Although he wouldn't remove the shirt, as that seemed a bit much. He ducked under the Endstone ceiling and peered out, gazing out at all of the nearby Enderman, inviting them to come by. He may as well stay and collect some pearls, as he wasn't ready to head back to the island quite yet. He just couldn't imagine facing Tom, as he felt too embarrassed. Tom didn't even look at him afterwards; not a glance. Just a blurted apology and a disappearance. Was he that disgusted with himself that he had to run away? Did he really regret it so quickly that all he could do was flee?

Tom lingered by the exit of the small dungeon, letting his fingers poke through the wall of water. It was his favorite glitch; the water walls. Even when Minecraft was converted in to real life, physics and all, it still had its bugs. Tom laughed as the water strayed from its downward path and onto his finger, trickling along his hand and taking some of Jordan's blood along with the stream. The water was cool and calming, rushing down his skin as he moved his hand further into the barrier. Taking his arm out, Tom removed his helmet and stuck his head in its place, shaking it about to remove the sticky sweat from his hair. He pulled his head out and switched it out for his helmet, rinsing the inside of it, too. If Jordan was going to take his time coming back, he may as well cleanse what he could of himself. Then again, did he really want to be here for when Jordan returns? His mind told him that it was the right thing to do; wait and explain himself. But all he wanted to do was run away, go and hide, do anything but face his impetuous actions. And perhaps he could do that.

Jordan bent over and picked the droppings he accumulated from Endermen that he had managed to kill, gathering a good twenty pearls or so. The process had taken a bit longer than he had originally anticipated, as most of the Endermen had scattered after the dragon had come down, most likely confused with all of the commotion. He stuffed the pearls into his bag and turned to his last task for the evening; the egg. As it was in the game, if he was able to just get it to fall onto another block, mainly being a torch. He took out his single light from his bag and dug out the Endstone that sat underneath their trophy and stabbed the stick into the hollowed out hole. Having the torch placed, he then removed the rest of the stone and watched as the egg shrank into its collectible size. In contrast to the game, the egg was actually movable, and it didn't teleport, so you could pick it up. That is, if you happened to be an Olympic weight-lifter, as the egg weighed an excruciating amount if not in its transferable form.

He picked up the prize and held it in his palm, examining its texture and colors, rubbing the egg with his thumb. He placed it into his bag carefully as he decided that his next course of action would be to leave this dimension, as he had been here too long, and Tom was most likely worried. Or maybe he wasn't? Jordan didn't know; he didn't care. There were too many confusing things at the moment. He moved away from the resting place of Ralph and over to the portal, tapping his fingers on the cobblestone edge. Jordan poked his finger into the swirling black pool and instantly felt the pull from the vacuum. Sighing, he heaved himself over the edge and into the abyssal draw.

* * *

Jordan hopped out of his docked boat and onto the shore, trampling some wheat as he passed through the farm. He looked up to the sky and found the moon well up into it, surrounded by stars and a sea of black. They had been gone for several hours, as battling the dragon had taken a while, and his lengthened supply run took even more time, although he didn't think it to be this long. Surely Tom would understand, but as he looked around the island, the other was not present to greet him. Then again, if Tom had run off in the first place, he most likely didn't care to see Jordan, anyway. That was that. He couldn't help it if the other gamer was angry with him, as he did nothing wrong. Unless if Tom had been testing him, and his reaction somehow startled him? That wasn't quite right, even if Jordan could see Tom doing something like that in a much less severe scale, this _felt_ different. It didn't feel like a game or a challenge, at least not anymore. There definitely was some disparity, and he couldn't exactly pin point if he would embrace it or block it off. Whatever it was, he was sure that a chat with Tom may clear up the more foggier bits.

Pushing open the door to their house, Jordan quickly realized that it didn't contain his friend, or at least he wasn't conscious. Tom lay slumped on the bed, and his light snore was audible from the doorway. _So much for answers, then, _Jordan thought, tiptoeing to his side of the room. The stripped himself of his armor, trying his best to keep the clinking of the metallic gear to a minimum. It would be a shame to wake Tom after all of this trouble, and he would probably get a little grumpy, anyway. That was Tom.

Once he had taken off the heavy plating, he let himself sink into the bed, moaning slightly at the contact with the cushioning mattress. His body ached almost as much as his mind did, and the sheer thought of rest was blissful. But before he let himself succumb to his lethargy, he gazed over at the other on the bed, wrapped in his red and white sheets. Tom, yet again, had stolen his coverings in his sleep again, as he did most nights. Jordan let a small smile curl in the corner of his lip as he gently reached over and freed some of bedding from Tom's grasp, pausing as he brought the covers onto himself. The other gamer was faced away from him, balled up in a fit of sleep. Jordan bit his lip as he gazed on the other so freely, as this could possibly be the last time in a while that he would be able to with such ease. Who knew what they faced when they woke up in the morning? Perhaps after then he wouldn't be able to look at Tom directly again. He didn't know; it was in the time to come, and he'd just have to go with it.

Although, that was for the morning, and he had now to reflect over the other gamer's image as he wished. The feelings of warmth and confusion swarmed over him again, and he could feel himself turn red as he stared at Tom. The emotion was numbing yet tempting, and he found himself leaning over Tom, planting a soft kiss to his cool cheek. "Goodnight, Tom," he mumbled, finally relenting to his bed, falling asleep almost as soon as his head contacted pillow.

_And Sweet dreams to you, too._

* * *

**A/N: WHOA look at that plot and stuff. Crazy. I had to cut some small things out, and I hope that's okay. Obviously, I had to make room for some of the bigger events and then all of the thought processes and whatnot. As well, their verbal interaction was light. Oops. But you know, Turmoil. Boy, oh boy. But yeah, I hope you enjoyed, and feel free to let me know what you thought. Yer Boi. **


	6. Chapter Six: Day 29

**A/N: **

**I just realized that when you upload a document the site completely fucks over your transitions so i apologize to those who have read this without them because wow. I messed up. That and i can't tell if it shows indents. If not, ouch.**

**Hia. So I'm sorry that this took a while to finish, but for those of you who haven't seen/read it yet, I posted a little smut fic called **_**Zombie Squirrels Got Two Idiots Laid.**_** It's got some naughty bits in it, so be aware of that if you go and check it out. It takes place in Mianite, and, well, Framer Steve has creative methods of dealing with troublesome employees. Let's keep it at that.**

** Also, by the time that this little blurb is being written, a new Mianite fic has been put through the works! Not sure when the first chapter of that will come out, as most of it is still being concocted. Just to give a little bit of a teaser, though, it'll be a Syndisparklez fic focused on the happenings of the revolution, with a plethora of plot and the two of them. I haven't decided if I want it to focus on the relationship or the plot, but believe me, if I go with plot, there will be PLENTY of Tom/Jordan to go around. That and I need a good title. Decisions, decisions. Let me know if you'd be interested.**

** But yeah, I hope you guys like this chapter! I know that last chapter was a bit of a cliff hanger, (kinda?), and I'm sure not updating it for almost three weeks was just awesome of me. I'm trying, truly. Enjoy :)**

* * *

Tom regained his conscience as the sun rays seeped through his eyelids, feeling the cool bed sheets intertwined in his fingers. He opened his eyes and saw a figure lying across from him; the same one that he saw everyday when his eyes would blink open. Although, this particular morning, a new feeling had settled inside him, something other than the early fatigue that came with awaking. He glanced over the face of Jordan, who still rested peacefully. Tom shifted in the bed slightly, tracing over the place on his cheek that the other had previously pecked.

He had been awake when Jordan had come, and well awake; he didn't have any intentions of falling asleep before the other's return. He needed to hear him come in, lie down and be. He needed to make sure that he was alright before he checked out for the night. He didn't expect Jordan to be so late, though. He must have lounged about in the bed for a good hour until he heard sounds come from the outside of the house, and once he had, he dashed under the covers and feigned slumber. He laid quietly as Jordan came in and even faked his snoring, playing along with the scene.

Tom was terrified when Jordan had opened the door, as he had no inkling of what the other gamer had been thinking during his absence. Had he thought of what he was going to say, what he was going to retaliate with? Perhaps, as that was the likeliest course of action. After all, talking it out was what he would have had to have done. If he hadn't thought of another plan, that is. But what was Jordan going to say to him? Was he going to be angry and spiteful, like his mind threatened him with images of? It was his biggest fear for the evening; that Jordan would come in and not be able to look at him without cringing. Then again, since he knew Jordan so well, he figured that the other would be calm about it, and let him down gently, or as gently as this situation could be handled. Yet Tom didn't want to handle the situation at all, and he wanted to just remain curled up in the bed with Jordan in this blissful serenity.

But of course, there was still another thing that he couldn't figure out. Jordan had come in the previous night like a shadow and tried his best to not disturb him in the slightest. Wasn't he going to talk to Tom and tell him off and whatnot? Instead, he had gotten the very opposite response that he had expected; Jordan kissed him and wished him goodnight. _He kissed Tom back_. Not a real kiss or anything substantial like Tom had actually given, but a tender caress on the cheek, nonetheless. So what did that mean, then? Was there a possible chance that he wasn't as crazy as he felt, and there really was a fraction of affection imbedded in their actions? Had it not been a mistake? Alas, even if was as good and true as he longed it to be, he could do nothing. His own feelings scared him to the point that he could not force himself to act on them, not again.

Tom pulled his eyes away from his sleeping friend and sat straight in the bed, resting his elbows on his knees as he propped his head up in his hands. He rubbed his temples, letting a few grumbles tumble past his lips. The frustration was lightly simmering in his throat as he groaned a little louder, peeping over his shoulder to look at Jordan, who began to stir. Tom brought his gaze back down to the sheets, a frown tugging at mouth. Seemed as though his performance was working, for now.

Jordan awoke to the sound miffed groans emitting from the opposite side of the bed. As his eyes flickered open, he saw Tom sitting up and facing away from him, head cradled in his hands as his fingers massaged the side of his temples. At first glance, Jordan thought maybe it was just the other experiencing a headache, but the events of the previous day flashed in the back of his mind and he reconsidered the possibility. It was likely that it could be a migraine, but could it be that Tom was mentally situating himself for when Jordan got up, so that he could rescind his actions from after the battle? Could he be deep in contrition? If so, Jordan loathed the idea of disturbing him, but if they were to get this past them, he may as well get the process started.

"Tom?" He called, pushing himself to sit up as he rubbed away some remaining languor out of his eyes.

At the sound of his name spoken through the quiet by Jordan, Tom felt his heart sink. He was starting to detest himself for putting himself through this, as all he wanted to do was turn around and bury himself in the other's arms, yet he knew that was illogical in all senses. He'd have to carry on; he'd have to go through with this. After all, Jordan surely didn't reciprocate this maddening rush that overran his judgment. It was just him. It had to be just him.

"Fuck, man," he said, simulating a cringe. "What happened yesterday?"

An expression of confusion crept its way onto Jordan's features as Tom asked his question. Did Tom not remember what happened? "What do you mean?" He asked, hoping that his friend could clarify further.

"I woke up on the floor of the portal room with no memory and a massive headache," Tom replied, swallowing hard. The lie stung the corners of his eyes, making them wet. Which wasn't too bad, as it added to the allusion of pain, even though it was more emotional than physical. "I think I hit my head when I went out of the portal,"

Jordan took a quiet yet sharp intake of breath as he rationalized what Tom was telling him. So he had gotten amnesia, then. But that meant that he didn't know about the kiss, he didn't know about fleeing; he didn't know about anything. To Tom, it never happened, ergo, he couldn't feel regret, and he certainly couldn't be mad at Jordan. It was good, great even, yet he couldn't help but feel slightly dissatisfied. Tom had forgotten the moment that they had shared, the grandeur that they embraced. Regardless, Jordan would have to accept it. "Really? What do you last remember?" He asked, curious as to what remained in his conscience if the kiss did not.

Tom turned around to face the other gamer, hesitantly doing so. He'd have to get creative with this bit because he hadn't planned for Jordan to ask many questions. As he looked him over, though, with the covers having fallen down off of Jordan's upper half, the blood stained cloth of his shirt had been revealed. One thing that he had actually forgotten was that the other gamer had gotten injured pretty seriously. He moved his hand to Jordan's side and lifted the fabric, his fingertips brushing against his friend's feverish skin as he examined the bandages wrapped around the wound. The contact electrified Tom's own skin, sending warm signals through his entire body. "I remember being under the mushroom, and this was out of fucking control," he said, lifting the black cloth to expose the gash.

Jordan looked down at down at his injury as Tom gasped, his fingers yanking the bandage off of his torso. What had been left of the wound that the dragon had inflicted was entirely gone, and all that remained was a layer of lightened skin. "Wow," Jordan commented, as he did not expect such a rapid recovery. If were to guess, it looked as though he had drank a healing potion, but they didn't of those at their disposal.

"That's amazing," Tom murmured, bringing his other hand up to stroke the soft skin that sealed the gash. Never in his any of his prior experiences in the game had he seen a wound heal with such astounding haste. He looked up to meet Jordan's gaze and offered an innocent smile, taking his hands away. "So I assume we beat the dragon, then? Hadn't we named him Raphael or something?" He asked, keeping up his charade.

Jordan's side quickly grew colder from the absence of Tom's touch, neither clothing nor skin occupying the surface. He have his lip a small bite as he thought back to the events of the battle that occurred after the one that Tom had mentioned. "Yeah, we got him after that, but his name was Ralph," he said, concluding that he wouldn't bring up the kiss. If he didn't have to, then he wouldn't. Besides, there was a possibility that Tom wouldn't believe him, as Jordan remembered the occurrence, and he still didn't believe it himself.

Tom nodded, noting the slight omission in Jordan's brief story. "But how come I woke up alone?" he asked, trying to see if Jordan would relent the actual events or continue with the falsehoods. "I came back here and thought maybe you had come home, but you didn't, and then I must have fallen asleep while waiting," he added, giving a small pout.

"Oh, well," Jordan started, trying to think of a believable justification. "I stayed behind to get some Ender pearls for you," he offered, trying to assert some confidence in his words.

"Really?" Tom questioned, shifting to fully face the other gamer. "I let my wounded friend collect Ender pearls while I go off and get amnesia'd?" He said, raising his eyebrow. Even if he already knew the truth, he still probably wouldn't have accepted that as an excuse. Since Jordan had been hurt as badly as he was, he would have sent him home and collected the pearls himself. There was no way in hell that he would have let Jordan stay and get such petty resources.

Although, as he thought about it, he had. He completely abandoned Jordan, and in the End, of all places. Tom would like to place the blame on the fact that after he had kissed Jordan he went slightly psychotic, or maybe he was psychotic the whole time, therefore, he made some bad choices. But even then, that didn't give him the right to flee the way he did. And he couldn't categorize these feelings as demented, as crazy as they were, because they were thoroughly genuine. As crazy as they were, they were there, and they were real.

Jordan cringed on the inside, as it appeared that Tom was dubious of his explanation. He could see why, of course, as it was a poorly fabricated one. But he'd have to stick to it now, as he had set himself up with it. "That you did," Jordan replied, as that was what had happened. Tom left him wounded, figuratively and literally, in the End. And then supposedly gotten amnesia, which can happen in Minecraft, maybe? He didn't know, or care, for that matter, as the issue had been eradicated with Tom's memory.

Tom clucked his tongue as he looked Jordan over, deciding that he would have to accept the story he was given. After all, what was he to do? Grab Jordan and shake him while he yelled his frustrations? _Why don't you just fucking tell me that I'm wrong and that I'm crazy for kissing you! Acknowledge my damn mistake for me!_ No, that would be absurd. If Jordan didn't want to tell him of the incident, then he wouldn't blow his cover. It was too late for that.

"So what are we doing today, then? Getting all of the gear?" He asked, moving off of the bed to collect his armor, dumping the pieces on his previous spot on the bed.

"I mean, yeah, we have the split levels from the dragon, so we may as well use them," Jordan responded, also getting up off of the bed. He watched as Tom sifted through the chests, picking out various iron ingots and diamond-chunks. He smiled softly as he continued on his path out the door, heading out to their gifted tree to see if a new shirt had been delivered for him. As he approached the trunk, he noticed that another chest had been placed, albeit this one had a note adorned to the lid. He picked the memo up and unfolded it, revealing a typed message in a large font reading:

_Hang in there, bud. One more to go, and by the looks of it, there's not much that #TeamSyndisparklez can't do. Besides each other, that is. Take care._

_-T_

_You two are adorbz btw :3_

_-S_

Jordan blushed as he crumpled up the letter from their friends, tossing it into the ocean as to prevent Tom from picking it up. Of course they knew about everything, yet they didn't help one bit. If anything, they made the situation worse, as they made the warm and confused sensation return to Jordan's stomach as he pulled the new clothes from inside the chest. He grabbed the hem of his bloodied shirt and tugged it over his head, tucking it into the chest to rid of it. Now with a crisp white shirt replaced, the grabbed the jacket and left the tree, moving to accompany Tom back in the house.

As the other gamer came into the house, Tom had busied himself with the task of locating Sonja's old armor. He didn't know how he hadn't thought of using the derelict scraps before, but he was glad that it had crossed his mind now. After all, their diamond supply was going to rapidly diminish as they made new sets, so they may as well try and conserve what they could. Of hers that had no enhancements, there were some leg plates that he could try to modify with a spell of two. In worst case scenario, Tom could always just adhere the enchantment onto whatever he had now.

"I'm going to go enchant a few things, you want to come with?" he proposed to the other, as it looked like Jordan had fashioned a new chest plate.

Jordan nodded and followed Tom trough the door, chest plate in hand. Although his already had a good amount of protection, as all of his pieces did, there was a possibility at getting something better. He went past the other gamer as he stopped to grab the lapis and continued into the enchanting room, setting the diamond armor down onto the table. The center book flipped open and Jordan examined what the teaser had to offer. "Projectile Protection IV, should I go for it or nah?" he asked Tom when he came into the room, handing off a few pieces of lapis to Jordan.

Tom considered Jordan's options as he tossed the leg plates down with the lapis, muttering the incantation that showed itself for him. "Isn't it blast protection that you want? Because it's the Wither?" he prompted, frowning at his own enchantment.

"I suppose that's true," Jordan relented, looking to see that Tom was obviously unhappy with whatever the spells had offered him. "What did you get?"

"Fire Protection IV, Unbreaking III," Tom stated, rubbing his face with his empty hand as he let the one holding onto the armor fall down to his side. It wasn't bad for a second level enchantment, but it was disappointing for a third. For some reason, their diamond enchantments always screwed them over. Which was entirely unfortunate, seeing as diamond was supposedly the best, and if they couldn't give it any substandard effects, then it lessened the value. Or at least that was how Tom thought it to be. Why get a fancy television if you only got those shoddy shopping channels?

"What else could I enchant, then?" Jordan thought aloud, picking up the plating to dispose of it in the chest outside of the small room. There wasn't much armor to have enhanced since most of his was already fine, so what else could he do?

"What if we just make some OP iron armor?" Tom proposed before he was able to hear Jordan's question. If diamond was so resistant to magical malleability, perhaps iron would suit them better. Although it was a bit of long shot, seeing as they would have to take time to make the armor and then enchant it, and he had no idea of how stocked they were with the alloy, anyway. Ergo, the diamond would have to suffice.

Jordan dismissed Tom's suggestion with a shake of his head as they exited the enchantment compound to head back to the house. Their current diamond would be tolerable enough for the time being, seeing as they had over prepared for the past two bosses, either way. This would be no different, most likely. Yet, Jordan knew that over preparing was definitely better than under, in any circumstance. Although, as he had remembered their last triumph, he recalled the one weapon that was short a good spell. "I know what I need to do," he said, jogging ahead of Tom to enter the house first. He rummaged through some open chest and found the item that he had discarded after last night's fight. "I need a good bow,"

Tom stepped inside and leaned against the doorframe, watching as Jordan pulled out two bows, one a shimmering purple and the other a standard model. If he remembered correctly from the previous day, Jordan had fired off at the dragon with a plain bow, so the unenhanced one must have been his personal. He didn't know exactly how he was able to recall such a small detail, but perhaps it had to do with the fact that he didn't let himself take his eyes off of the other for very long. But of course, the moments that he had, Jordan had gotten himself into several calamitous situations. It was funny how much a pair of watchful eyes could do, or rather what an absent pair could.

"I should probably do that, as well," Tom commented, as it would be advantageous if he could get a few upgrades for _The Bow'ner_.

"This one has Unbreaking II that I could probably tether to whatever I get for this," Jordan said, examining the two weapons. He'd have to make sure that he got something good for his, first. "I think I'll go do that," he stated, heading out the door to go back to the table.

Sighing as the other left, Tom sifted through the chest in search of more string in which to create another bow with, but found none. He'd have to go out to the spawner and hope that some spiders lurked about in order to get more of the desired resource. He turned and exited the house to pursue the task of getting the materials needed. As he passed the area that Jordan was, he saw that the other lingered outside of the enchanting area with an unimpressed frown stitched on his features. Curious, Tom called over to him. "What did you get?"

Jordan looked up to see that Tom stood ahead of him a few paces, sword in hand. "Power IV and only," he replied, drumming his fingers on the bow in his hand. The preview had him thinking that perhaps the spell would have been worthwhile, but like many fateful times before, what he saw was what he got.

Interested, Tom stepped forward until he was a few paces in front of the other gamer. A good Power IV could most likely get him up to a Power V, and that would be enough for him to be quite satisfied. "Can i have that, then? If you aren't going to be needing it," he asked, attempting to snatch the bow from Jordan's vulnerable hands.

"Yeah, I don't think so," Jordan replied with a laugh, as he was able to halt Tom with a firm arm across the other's chest, preventing him from advancing towards the bow that he had outstretched further away. He had seen Tom's sneaky moves a mile away, and figured that he would want to take the pre-made bow instead of making one himself. It was typical behavior, and would have felt normal, but Jordan became very aware of his hand against Tom's chest, and the relaxed feeling he had morphed into one of discomfort.

Tom was able to see the change of mood in the older gamer's features, and he tried to hide a frown himself as the arm was stiffly taken away. It appeared that Jordan was not keen on sharing physical contact with him. So he would figure that was it. After all, Tom _had_ crossed some boundaries with that yesterday. But as far as he knew, or was supposed to know, that didn't happen, and everything was fine. Great, even. Although it wasn't, not at all.

"Fine, I'll go make my own," he said, giving a small laugh as he walked away, continuing in the direction of the spawner. _Yeah, this is definitely harder than I thought_.

Jordan let a sly smile splay on his features as he watched Tom trot off to the spawner. If he had any sense, which he does, he wouldn't let Tom get the bow. The other gamer already had a flashy bow that worked well enough, and Jordan was in need of such an item. But since he had wasted this particular one with a lousy enchant, he'd have to make a whole new bow like Tom was doing. Letting out a sigh, he followed after the younger gamer.

Entering the mob den, Tom was confronted by several different monsters just a few steps in. A creeper threatened him with a sparking hiss, a skeleton fired wildly at him, and a few Spiders clicked their fang-like pincers. It was a great selection, and Tom found that he was able to cut through the monsters with ease, the built up stress venting out with every swing of his sword. It was a nice sensation; feeling the heavy blade slice into their thick and squirming flesh. It reminded him of how some people deal with issues by knitting or something domestic like that. He supposed that he was the same way, only his method of choice was much more morbid. Satisfying, all the same.

Just as he was about to turn for a spider, he felt a weight drop onto his shoulder. Since he was in a combat-numbed mindset, his first instinct was to launch his sword at whatever had approached him. And as he did, he was a bit shocked to see that Jordan now stood, or ducked, rather, behind him. "Sorry, mate. Don't scare me like that," Tom said, laughing nervously. "Almost ran you in,"

"Scare you? I called out to you, and i figured you heard me," Jordan replied, standing up fully. When he came into the spawner, Tom was already slicing and dicing the monsters. He figured that if he just said his name, then the other would recognize that he was there. Apparently, though, Tom was too into his element to be aware of Jordan's presence.

"Oh, whoops," Tom said, as he hadn't so much as heard a whisper from Jordan. He watched as the other gamer shook his head and moved to take his leave on the remaining spiders, picking up the wads of string that fell. It was too dark to depict anything but the other's silhouette, but he could still envision Jordan's features through the shadows. He had seen that face many times, and that face has stared him back many times. He's felt the skin and the scruff that adorns it with his own hands, and even his own lips. It was odd to think of it that way; with his senses. But a way, nonetheless, and it made his skin ignite with a reminiscent tingle, back to the times when he could look upon that familiar face when it looked back in the light. It seemed as though those many times would cease.

Bending back up with the clumps of string, Jordan separated three wads and tossed them in Tom's direction. "For that bow, sir," he said as he watched Tom juggled the stands about, trying to situate them in his hands. He sifted through the string that was left, and found that there were a good four left. Enough for him, at least.

Tom exited the spawner, turning to a crafting table that was left at the side of it. He pulled out a few sticks from his bag and laid them across the table with the string, watching as the sticks merged into one. He took the new stick and tied the string to it at each ends, connecting the two pieces with the last thread. The table merged the strings into a single cord, and his new bow was complete. He turned and saw that Jordan had decided to go up to the house, so he would follow.

Jordan set the string down on the beds as he moved over to the chests, acting on an idea he had gotten while fighting the spiders. Luckily, they dropped the amount that they needed for their bows, but drop-wise, they could use a certain helpful spell. That being Looting, as they would definitely need it for the Wither Skeletons. He turned as he heard Tom enter the house, giving him a light smile. "I'm going to try and get Looting on an iron sword," he relented as he dug through a chest in search for the weapon mentioned.

Tom stopped by a chest adjacent to the one Jordan stood at and rummaged through the armor that it contained. "We need a swag chest," he commented, dragging the metallic contents out onto the floor. Moving to go past Jordan, he kneeled on the bed to reach into the small chest that had been left on Sonja's side. Opening it, he tossed out all of it's contents onto the ground near the rabbit pen.

"What are you doing?" Jordan asked with a chuckle as Tom continued to go through all of their chests and throw about their armor items. It was funny to see him make such a mess, considering that Jordan had made the brunt of yesterday's house fiasco. "While you're doing whatever it is that you are doing, could you hand me an iron sword if you come across it?" he asked when Tom didn't answer.

Tom pulled out the indicated weapon and tossed it behind him as he pulled out a few helmets, hearing Jordan yelp as it clattered to the floor. "There you go, Sparkley-Dick," he muttered as the dropped the helmets so he could scour the rest of the remaining chests.

"That could have killed me," Jordan yelled, as he picked the sword up. He could only imagine a careless stunt like that to be performed by Tom to be the death of him. Very easily, actually, as that had almost been the case several times. "Maybe,"

"Good," Tom murmured on instinct as he scrapped up the last of their pieces. He watched as Jordan rolled his eyes and exited their house, most likely running off to enchant the sword. As the other gamer left, he plucked all of the armor chunks off of the floor and crammed them into the designated chest. Having completed his task, he stationed himself at the crafting table so he could make a new sword, hoping to get something somewhat useful on it. With the new weapon in hand, he trotted out to meet Jordan at enchanting area.

"You serious?" Jordan said to himself with a small sigh. The preview that the book was giving him was a meager Smite IV, and that was not something that he was keen on putting on the sword. It would have to say _Looting ____ for him to actually accept the spell, and who knows how long that could take.

"What awfulness are you getting?" Tom asked as he came in, overhearing the older gamer's frustrated grumbles. He laid his lapis and diamond sword onto the table as he flipped through the book, blindly settling for a page.

"Smite IV," Jordan stated with a groan, setting the sword onto the ground beside him. Perhaps now that they had used the table a few times, it would allow him a better spell on the chest plate that he had tried earlier. He waited until tom had selected his enchantment -willy-nilly, as always- and turned the book back to face him, but stopped there as he noticed an expression of grievance had settled on his features. "And you?"

Tom covered his eyes with his arm and handed the sword over to the other gamer, letting him investigate his misfortune himself. Was there no luck to be had? None at all? After everything he had gone through to get those levels from that fucking dragon, he couldn't get a decent enchantment. Not one. And to him, the process was the equivalent of hell. Or the aftermath was, rather. The moments themselves weren't that bad, especially one in particular, but the outcome from that specific one was its own little tortuous poison; its very own unbearable spell.

"Oh, wow," Jordan said as he examined the imprinting on the blade of the sword. "Knockback II. I wouldn't have even gone for it," He finished, handing it back to its displeased owner.

"Fucking hell, man," Tom exclaimed as he ran outside with the weapon, forcefully hurdling it out into the sea like the boots had been the previous day. It was certainly an efficient way of getting rid of unwanted items. If only he could do that with his feelings.

"Now why'd you do that?" Jordan asked teasingly, laughing as he saw Tom's vexation clearly splayed across his face as he came back into the room. "Perfectly good sword,"

"And what about those boots, then?" Tom retorted, leaning against a bookshelf as he slid down to sit on the floor. "They were better than that piece of shit," He added, folding his arms in his lap as he listened to the sound of Jordan mutter an incantation of his own.

"Whatever you say," Jordan said with a laugh, holding up his new chest plate. "Protection IV, Unbreaking III, and Thorns II," he commented, reading off the engraving that was on the back. This could do quite nicely.

"Not even fair," Tom scoffed, shaking his head. "Have you done your bow yet?" he asked, as he hadn't even attempted to do his. With what he was getting, he didn't know if he wanted to bother.

"I can see what i get," Jordan replied, pulling the bow off his shoulder to place across the table. He picked up a few Lapis and set them across the pages of the book, pinpointing the first level three spell that he saw. "Punch I? I don't think so,"

"Yeah, don't go for it," Tom assured, moving to kneel by the table across from Jordan. flipping through the book randomly. Perhaps it was his touch that soured things. Not in general, but just for him. He had touched Jordan, and now that relationship had been tainted in the most suffocating of ways. Jordan was fine, but when it involved Tom, he was frayed. He could tell in the simple actions that Jordan made, although speech had remained the same. Jordan was comfortable enough to carry out one of their amusing banter sessions, but he couldn't risk a glance that lasted too long, and touch was now seemingly off limits, as that had been demonstrated earlier. Everything was different now, and he couldn't even whine about it to the older gamer.

Jordan shifted his gaze off of Tom and rested it onto the sword on the ground, trying to think of what to do. He could try seeing what he got on the sword and retest it like he had for the chestplate, but the odds were still slim. So what did that leave? He looked back down at the other gamer who was absentmindedly turning the pages of the book on the altar. He could very well try a book; see if that gave him anything. "Could you hand me one of those books from the shelf?" he asked, watching as Tom pulled one with a red binding away from the others, depositing it into his hands. "Thank you,"

Watching as Jordan set The Lapis and book down on top of the spell book, Tom drummed his fingers against the table. He studied the older gamer's facial expressions as he read through the incantation, quietly uttering the foreign words. The silly sunglasses that adorned his face slipped slightly on the bridge of his nose as his head tilted to read the words, cape cascading over his shoulders. Tom didn't know how the other was able to wear his so often, as he found that he constantly tripped over his. Then again, Jordan was more familiar with the garment than he would ever be. Personally, he found the accessory to be too dorky for himself, but it somehow complemented Jordan quite well. Perhaps it was the elementary charm that he had, as though he were a superhero. It was cute to imagine the other flying about in the air, _saving the day_. Tom found himself chuckling at the thought. It was too bad, though, as Tom felt as if he were the villain that Jordan was up against.

"Oh my god," Jordan said, astonished as he read the title printed on the binding. "How does it even happen?" he asked rhetorically, lifting up a hand to cover his mouth as he laughed. Out of all of the poor luck that they had experienced, one fortunate thing had happened. "Looting II,"

"Really?" Tom asked, standing up to examine the book that Jordan held. "Fuck yeah," he expressed as he read Spell title on the cover. He didn't expect that the book would have actually worked, let alone on the first try. Perhaps things were looking up.

"We could go to the Nether today, then," Jordan suggested as he picked the sword up off of the floor. Now that they had Looting in their grasp, their chances of getting skulls from the Wither skeletons increased. Albeit not that much.

Tom went after Jordan as the other turned to walk out of the sanctuary, playing with the idea of heading into the Nether. It was certainly going to be a load of more grindy work, although this type he could live with. After all, it would be marching about a giantly magnificent fortress in search of things to kill. Not bad.

"We're ready for that?" he asked, going up the steps to follow Jordan along the path. He was okay with thought of going, but did they really need to? They had been slaving out the past few days, and a break wouldn't kill them. "Can't we just take a day to pick flowers or something?"

Jordan laughed at Tom's proposal as he stepped onto the bridge, looking down to watch some fish swim about the current in the stream. "That wouldn't be too bad," he replied, imagining the two of them running around their island in a contest to see who could round up the most. It was tempting to just give in to the idea and let them relax for a day, seeing as they had been working nonstop ever since Sonja died, and even before then. But he couldn't let that happen. As much as he wanted to laze about with Tom, he couldn't. He tried to reason that their days were limited, and that they should really just focus on finishing things up, and those were all fairly valid excuses, but they were excuses. In reality, he just refuted the idea of doing something so carefree with the other. What if he got too relaxed and messed up? What if he would ease up to the point that he let something slip out that he didn't intend? No, he needed to busy himself; he needed something other than Tom to focus on.

"But we need to get it started, anyway, so we may as well go and see if we can get anything," he said, biting his lip.

Tom frowned as he and Jordan entered the house, pausing at the door as the other moved to the anvil. "Well damn," he said with a sigh. He figured that Jordan wouldn't have agreed to such a farfetched idea, but a part of him genuinely hoped that he would have. Like the other had thought, an afternoon of lounging about in the flowers seemed like bliss after their long days of work. They could have possibly done that today, but Tom felt as though recent actions of his prevented that from happening, and it made him slightly contrite. His little impulse possibly cost him a chance at simply relaxing with his friend. This was beginning to get annoying, and very much so.

"Yeah, maybe next time, bud," Jordan replied, lifting his new Looting diamond sword off of the anvil. The purple glow was now stronger with the added enchantment, enhancing the blue tones that the gem had. He wasn't going to add the spell to the iron sword if he could just adorn it to a sword that already had some decent traits of its own. It would be a waste of an enchant. "Got the sword ready to go," he commented, sheathing the weapon.

"So bows now, yeah?" Tom asked, pulling his unenchanted bow off of his shoulder. He didn't need much on his since _The Bow'ner_ was already sufficient enough, but it wouldn't hurt to try and get some better spells on it to maximize its abilities. And preferably, that ability would be Power V. "Unless if you just want to give me that Power IV that you've got, because that would be great,"

"No, Tom. You aren't getting my bow," Jordan responded with a laugh, picking up the string that he had left on the bed. He'd need to get two more pieces from some spiders in the spawner if he wanted to make a new bow, which is what he'd have to do. "Go enchant yours while I get string for mine," he added, moving passed Tom to go out the door.

"Fine, Sparkly-Dick, I'll do that," Tom said, turning to follow Jordan out. They parted ways as Tom got to the path leading in to the sanctuary, waving back as he entered. He laid the bow onto the table and placed the scraps of Lapis next to it, reading the level three incantation. The bow grew a purple shimmer and an imprint was made on the grip. Punch I, Power III, and Unbreaking III. "Not bad," he muttered to himself, turning the weapon about in his hands. Well, it wasn't bad if he were to add it to the other bow. At least he hadn't gotten something utterly terrible.

String acquired, Jordan exited the spawner and went to the crafting table that Tom had used earlier. He laid out the materials and made the new bow, slinging it over his shoulder as it was finished. Leaving the table, he walked over to the enchantment area and found it uninhabited. He shrugged his shoulders and laid the newly fashioned bow onto the crafting table, turning to the door to grab a few more pieces of Lapis. "Here we go,"

Tom stood in front on the anvil, a hand placed under his chin as he looked down at the bows below him. The gut feeling that monitored his experience levels was signaling a cost of nineteen, which would take him below thirty by a few levels, meaning that this would be the last thing that he could do. Which didn't matter, seeing as the bow was all that he needed now. He turned his head as Jordan came in through the door, a vividly purple bow in his hand. "Is it good?" he asked, turning back to his two on the anvil to combine them. As he did, he felt the levels rush out of his being, draining out onto the bows in order to make them into one.

"Well, it'll be Power V Flame I after I combine the two, so I suppose so," Jordan replied as he pulled a steak from the food chest, taking a bite into the meat. It was good that food never really spoiled, as they never had to replenish their supply of the meats. Which was beneficial, seeing as Jordan hated killing the animals now that they looked and sounded as if they were real. It was hard to stab a sheep when it looked up at him with warmly dumb brown eyes that thawed the chill that hardens the heart, making it mushy with sympathy. "What do you have now?" he asked, watching Tom inspect the grip on his new bow.

"Power IV, Punch I, Flame I, Unbreaking III," Tom stated, reading the imprint. It was very good, seeing as he figured that either the Flame or Punch wouldn't translate over. "Fucking fantastic,"

"Yeah, that's good," Jordan said, swallowing the last bit of steak. He supposed that it was good for him to have not given Tom the Power IV bow, as he wouldn't have gotten a better weapon. He watched as the younger gamer looked upon the bow proudly, slinging it over his shoulder. The bowstring caught on his tie, and Jordan almost felt tempted to get up and fix it, except he couldn't. He knew that Tom wouldn't feel bothered by it, as it was just him who felt this discomfort. Yet he could not motivate himself to the point that he could let the strange feelings surpass him. They sat in his mouth, the distasteful flavor engulfing his tongue so that he could not even speak out. A part of him wanted to just chew up the emotions and let them be broken down until the only thing that remained were the small portions stuck in his teeth, the memory of it, but he could not devise a way to do that without having them flow back up his throat in a heated stew, a tenfold more prominent and vile.

Tom offered Jordan a soft smile, but it soured as he watched the other turn away. Perhaps he needed to just go away for a moment and let Jordan be, maybe make a little stand for the mementos that they had gotten so far. Moving to grab some extra stone bricks from a chest along the wall, he found the wet sponge block in his bag. "If you want to combine your bows, I'll go make a trophy stand for our stuff," he suggested as he went to the door, pausing as he waited for a reply.

"Ok, good idea," Jordan replied, standing up to station himself at the anvil that Tom had abandoned. He listened as Tom left the house, treading out to somewhere outside. It was obvious that the other had picked up Jordan's sudden discomfort, and he ridiculed himself for making it so. He needed to be more careful or else Tom would start getting inquisitive, and that was something that he did not need.

Taking out the two bows, he laid them across the anvil and watched as the bows became a single one as he was drained of a good five levels. As he did, he thought back to the Unbreaking II that remained in one of the chests behind him. He was tempted to put it on as well, but he realized that it would be foolish of him to do so. Why would he need to? With their progression, they wouldn't stay on the island long enough for the bow to lose half of its durability. It would be a waste of levels, even if he didn't intend to use them.

Standing on his accomplished podium of sorts, Tom placed the wet sponge that he had onto one of the corners. He had made it so that three central blocks could sit on the stone in an angle so that one stood out from the other two. That position being for their final prize; the beacon. They were getting so close to the ending now, as they only had one little possession that they needed to acquire before they had completed the whole quest. After that, they'd have to go home. They'd leave to their respective sides of the world and that would be that. Game over.

He heard Jordan come up behind him and he turned to meet him, gesturing to what he had built. "Do you still have that egg?" He asked the other, moving to stand where it would be placed.

Jordan nodded and reached into his bag, feeling around for the cool surface of its shell. Pulling it out, he handed it to Tom, who set it down onto the bricks. The egg expanded to its natural size as it was placed across from the sopping sponge and Jordan smiled as he looked down at it. The shooting shades of deep purple and black reminding him of the dragon that they had battle they day earlier. "Beacon in the middle?" He asked, as there was an unoccupied space in between the two other items.

"Yeah, and then it'll be all set," Tom said, stepping back to observe his build. It was a quaint platform that hovered out over the water, displaying the trophies charmingly. Of course, they'd have battle the Wither to acquire the Nether Star, which is what they would need to make the last item. Although the grind to prepare for the Wither was the lengthiest and most adverse of all of them, and Tom wasn't exactly too excited to begin that.

Like Tom, Jordan wasn't thrilled to start spending countless hours in the Nether to acquire these rare skulls, yet that time had descended upon them. He glanced over to Tom who now stood beside him, returning a smile that he had denied the other of earlier. "What do you say we suit up and go try for those skulls?"He asked, nodding back to their house which held such items that they would need to venture out into the hellish dimension.

"Alright, if we must," Tom replied with an exaggerated sigh, turning with Jordan to go back into their home. He remembered seeing some Fire Protection in the swag chest that he had organized, and that could possibly be helpful to have on him.

Of course, the armor merely protected the flesh from burning so that there were no health hazards, but it did not prevent him from feeling the scorching flames lick the skin. There was still the illusion of pain, and it was excruciating. He would have thought that the durable gems that the protection was made of would help shield him from fiery tongues and spittle that would attempt to touch him, but it did nothing. Not a barrier could shelter him from the impending heat that wanted to envelope him so badly, and he accepted this. If there would be no way to stop the flames, he would let them come; welcome them in as they tasted his flesh tenderly.

After all, what difference could there be found in such akin things as unrelenting fire and one's own unconquerable emotions?

* * *

"We only need three," Tom stated as they tumbled out of the portal together, armor and weapons equipped. It hadn't taken them long to prepare themselves for their stay in the Nether, yet they still had a short amount of time to stay here, as it was already after midday. Apparently making and enchanting things is a time-consuming process.

"Only?" Jordan said with a scoff. "With Looting, we have a 2.5% chance of getting a skull from a skeleton, _if_ we manage to find one today," he added, pulling out his sword from its sheath. They had come out at the usual location, a few wandering pigmen greeting them with snorts as they began on the path down to the open field of rock that sat to the side.

"We should be fine," Tom replied, dismissing Jordan's words with a wave. The few pigmen that loitered about the expanse of land in front of them turned to look at them as they briskly flew down rock laden stairs, expressions of blank interest printed on their pink and green faces. As he reached the bottom level with Sparklez behind him, he eyed one of the zombies that were close to him. "We should take out some of these pigmen," he proposed, swinging his sword about his hand.

Jordan shook his head, laughing at the idea; it wasn't bad if they were planning to kill themselves. "And why would we do that?" he asked, giving Tom an odd look as the other began to creep about the undead.

"Gold for days!" Tom answered, testily taking a few swings at one of them. He knew that they had no real use for the ore, as they hadn't used any of their godapples, but he really wanted to sink his blade into one of their bodies. It was an itch, and all he desired to do was scratch it.

"I swear to god, if you agro them onto us..." Jordan started, cautiously reaching out in order to get Tom to stop his dangerous movements. This was the careless moment that he had envisioned; the one little mistake that Tom would make that would ultimately lead to their ends.

"They won't get mad at you, will they?" Tom asked, letting his sword arm fall so that he could continue on their trek guided by the many torches that had been set on the ground for that purpose. It wouldn't make sense that they would all go after Jordan if he was not the perpetrator of any crimes, but then again, he was sure an angry pig could care less about who did what in a case of murder of their kin.

"All of them in the area will attack us, yeah," Jordan answered, slightly bothered that Tom hadn't known this fact. If he had struck one of them, believing that Jordan would have been safe, something very bad could have ensued. Then again, why would Tom want to endanger himself like that? Was he stupid in a suicidal way, or was he that charged up on confidence and energy?

Gazing about the ashen land in front of him, Tom took note of the creatures around them. "Look at them all, we could take them!" He concluded, looking back to offer Jordan an encouraging smile and pump of the fist. With their new enchantments and potions that drifted about them they could very well fight off a large pack of them, perhaps.

Jordan took a moment to look out over the reddened stone expanse to size up the amount of the pigmen. There were many, yes, but a manageable amount. Then again, these were just the ones in the area, and not all around or on their way. Over all, it would most definitely be suicide, and that gave him an idea. "You know what? How about instead of us fighting each other at the end of the thing, we see how long it takes for each of us to survive," He proposed, as then it eliminated the fact that they would have to enact any combat between themselves, which appealed to him. Jordan didn't want to have to harm Tom, even after all of this confusion that the other had caused for him to endure. Sure it was stressful, but he certainly wished no ill will upon the younger gamer.

Tom brought his gaze to the ground as he continued on the path, climbing up a hill as he contemplated Jordan's idea. "That could work, Jar-dan," he replied, as he had the same thoughts. He did not want to kill Jordan, and if anything, he had the exact opposite intentions. "And my armor is almost all Fire Protection, so I'll be good for that," he added, as that could benefit him somewhat, and if he remembered correctly, Jordan had only a few items with that modifier.

"Really? Good god," Jordan said, as that was quite a lot of protection, especially from a rare occurrence that was falling lava. Although rare, it was possible, and in some cases, unavoidable. And knowing how reckless Tom could be, it probably wasn't a bad idea for him to have it.

Tom hummed in response, looking out onto a large lava lake as they continued forward, a sea of sweltering and bubbling orange hues staring back at him. Sometimes he found himself questioning what it would be like to swim around in the molten rock if it couldn't hurt him; if he couldn't feel the overwhelming heat. "Can Depth Strider help you swim in the water?" He asked, mixing up his words. A Fire Protection Potion numbs the pain from the flames, and perhaps the boots worked in the lava.

Laughing at Tom's misspoken words, Jordan poked fun at the other. "Yeah, that Orange water?" He said, gesturing over to the gurgling lava. "Go on and jump in, it's just water with orange food coloring that came from the Nether candy factory. It'll be fine," he teased, watching as Tom stopped to shoot him an unamused glance.

"You can shut your dickhole," Tom threatened, as the other was playing with his verbal fault. Realizing this, he decided that the fantasy was one to be left at that; a thought, and nothing to be actually considered.

"No man, it'll really help," Jordan continued, laughing as Tom bent down to pick up some of the red rocks that were scattered on the ground to throw at him. "You'll go like, super fast," he added as he dodged the younger gamer's attacks.

"Shut up," Tom replied, cheeks turning red as he started to walk again. Jordan strayed from him to the left as he clambered up the side of the next hill, going up in a more difficult fashion. Tom looked back to where he was going and spotted the stairs that had been made for a short cut. "Where are you going?"

"Up here," Jordan stated as though it were obvious, as it wasn't hard to see that he was climbing up the side. He reached the top and saw that Tom had beaten him up quite quickly. Looking over to where Tom had come, he saw that he had completely missed the path that lead up. "Oh,"

Tom proceeded on in the direction that he torches led, slowing enough so that the other could catch up to him. A fair group of pigmen lingered around them as they walked, the smell of their rotting flesh wafting into his nostrils. Being around the creatures made him develop a fidgeting itch to grab his sword, as something was drawing him to pull it out and scratch away. "I want to fight them so bad," he relented in a low murmur.

"I would suggest against it," Jordan responded hesitantly, watching as Tom drummed his fingers on the hilt of his sword. As they discussed, one aggressive move on their behalf would unleash the whole Nether onto them. Which, surely, would be the death of the both of them, and Jordan did not look forward to that in the slightest. "Because then they would attack me, and that would suck,"

"And I wish they would, I hope you die," Tom said, a smug grin pulling at his lips as Jordan gave him an exaggerated expression of hurt. This was what he wanted to see more of; this playful and light mood that came so harmlessly with ease. It was difficult to try and prevent it, as Jordan was even letting self succumb to their jokes and ruses, after all that he was sure the other had gone through emotionally. In the end, it was inevitable that they would get along splendidly so. Attempting to forestall it was like setting a bowl of ice cream in front of a young child and expecting it not to consume it. Tom was that young child, and he wanted all of the ice cream that the world had to offer, and he didn't care if he were to get a stomach ache later on.

"I'm joking. What team are we?" he asked, watching as Jordan softened his pout.

"Tiem Reester," Jordan affirmed with confidence, as that was their established team name. Even though a member of said team had been lost, he was sure that it was still intact.

Unsatisfied with the other's response, Tom denied the answer given. "Not it,"

Confused as to what the correct reply was, Jordan sort through his mind for other possibilities. He smiled as he remembered the other name that they had given themselves. "Team Syndisparklez," he said, feeling small wave of heat pass through him as he spoke their little binding title. "With a heart," he added, making symbol with his hands to bring it up for Tom to see.

Tom's cheeks reddened slightly as Jordan recalled their collective name, laughing as he saw the gesture that came with it. As much as h wanted to, he couldn't very well accept that answer, even though it was probably the most accurate and becoming. It made him happy that Jordan felt comfortable enough to even insinuate such a thing. "No, idiot, it was TIEM REESTER!" Tom replied, yelling the last bit loud enough to disturb a ghast that floated about the atmosphere.

"I said that," Jordan stated, as he had, albeit not as boisterous. He was a little disappointed that his final answer had been taken, as he was fairly certain that it would have been. It seemed the most fitting for the situation, nevertheless. Perhaps he shouldn't have brought it up, anyway, as now the warm sensation he had gotten now transformed into heavier and older one. It felt as though he had been rejected, in a way.

"Well, yeah, but you said it all _meh eh meh,_" Tom clarified, mumbling the last few words. "You need to say it like I did,"

Jordan rolled his eyes as he ran up a small incline and stood on top of it, cupping his hands around his mouth. "TIEM REESTER IS THE BEST!" He shouted, maybe even more loudly than the other had.

Pleased with Jordan's new display, Tom waved for the other to come back down with a chuckle. "Okay, okay. You get your bonus points, you little shit," he said, smiling as Jordan descended off of the rock to come and meet him.

"You hear a ghast?" Jordan asked, resuming his position next to the younger gamer as they went on. While he had performed his little stunt he had heard the mewling cries that the monstrous creatures emitted, and that meant that it was most likely nearby.

Tom turned to face up to the sky, moving further along to see if he could spot the ghast. As he approached a small cliff side, the white mass could be seen floating about the roof of the red cavern, coming down to confront the two of them. Tom took his bow off of his shoulder, grabbing an arrow to fire at the imposing mob. It took two shots, and the ghast came crashing down to the ground a bit ahead of them. Ignoring the experience that fell with it, he decided to go on their way. "Get rekt,"

"Not even in one hit, though," Jordan commented, choosing to rag on a miniscule fault of the other's. He went over to the experience and picked through the cluster, finding a ghast tear among the rubble that rained from the creature. It was soft and wet, yet somehow solid, as when he picked it up, it didn't rush out of his grasp like normal liquid would. Sometimes he found that he would play with the tear if he had it in his inventory, as if it were a stressball of sorts. It reminded him of the odd goop that they would make in elementary school, some type of cornstarch mixture. He wasn't sure; he just knew that it was fun to fondle.

"Oh shut up, my bow is still better than yours," Tom said, turning back to see that Jordan had trotted back up to follow behind him. He saw the grey matter in the other's hands, and smiled as he noticed the way he was playing with it. "Ghast tear? We can make some regen pots, then," he said, commenting on the tear as Jordan let it glide into his bag.

"Thanks to Sonja, we don't exactly lack those," Jordan said, harmlessly. As she had left those behind, they now had them to use. He didn't much care for the fact that she hadn't drunk them like she should have, because now he had other pressing matters that dwelled in his mind. And it didn't matter now, anyway. She had died, and now the two of them remained, and they were managing well. Quite well, actually, but somewhat awkwardly at the moment. Jordan convinced himself that this era would come to pass in another day or so, as he could feel the weight the situation slowly lifting off of him. All would be okay, and it wasn't the end of the world. Not yet, at least.

Tom laughed at Jordan's remark as he walked, nearing the stone brick wall that lead into the Temple. "You're certainly not wrong," he said, walking behind the divider and into the cave that held the fortress entrance. If they were able to make the regeneration potions to have extra, though, they would be well prepared for their fight with the Wither. "We're going to wreck him so hard, man. It's not even funny,"

Assuming tom was talking about the Wither, Jordan continued into the cave and down into the fortress with the other. "Yeah, I'd say that we're pretty set for that battle," he replied, stopping as Tom did.

"You know what we could do to make it even easier on ourselves?" Tom inquired, pausing before they got to the main area as to take a bit of a breather. It was a long walk to get here, and he wasn't exactly the world's best hiker.

"What?" Jordan asked, as he was sure Tom would divulge whatever that answer was. If it were another potion of sorts, he could probably make it, although he was sure that only a select few could help them with this mission, and they already had most of those.

"We could spawn in an Iron Golem," Tom relented, grinning as he saw Jordan raise an eyebrow. "I've seen people farm Wither's just by getting the Golems to do all of the work,"

"Really? How do they get the skulls for it?" Jordan questioned, as he hadn't heard of such a strategy before. It could very well work, though. It saved them the chance of getting too hurt, as well.

"They just have to farm them, I guess. I'm not sure," Tom responded, turning to look about the hall that they were in. He could hear the faint hissing moans that came from the blazemen nearby, and he was tempted to get their little quest started. Although, as he thought of it as a quest, he was reminded of the trophy podium at home not too far away from the Christmas tree. "And we have the pumpkins, too, because Dec put them down,"

"That's right," Jordan replied, as he had been right next to the mannequins just a few hours before. Since they had the resources, then they could definitely set it up so that the Golem could attack the Nether boss for them. "We could totally do that,"

Tom took out his pickaxe in order to break through the wall that they had patched up to seal off the structure, chipping away at the cobble. "I say we do," He suggested, coming in to the enclosure that lead out to the branches of the rest of the fortress. Lava poured out of a Netherrack wall adjacent to him, assisting some torches with illuminating the area. He peered down the long hall in front of him, spotting a few pigmen that wandered about. "So how are we going to do this? Split up?" he asked, as he figured that they could cover more ground if they were to part ways for a bit. Even though he didn't want to leave Jordan quite yet, strategically it was the best course of action that he could come up with.

Jordan came in after Tom, gazing about the maroon bricked walls. There was a lot of space in these halls, and he could see how going different directions could mean a higher chance of them finding a skeleton in less time. "Yeah, that could work," he said, watching as Tom turned to go down a passage way. "Well, if you find one, I need to kill it because I have the Looting," he added, as they had a better chance at getting a skull if Jordan killed it with his modified sword.

"Can do," Tom replied, heading off to pursue a side of the fortress. He wasn't sure that his voice would be able to be clearly heard through the thick barriers that would separate them shortly, but he could try, nonetheless.

Jordan turned to face the rest of the gloomy corridors, the eerie drafts flowing from them caressing his skin with cool touches. Taking a deep breath, he stepped toward the one in front of him, entering into the musty air to seek out the Wither Skeletons that lingered somewhere in the dark. "Here we go,"

* * *

"I can't believe that we only found two the whole time," Tom said as he and Jordan entered their house, the moon rising in the sky behind them. They had spent a few tiring hours scouring the crannies of the Fortress, and only two Wither Skeletons had presented themselves.

"You didn't take down the torches," Jordan replied, pointing out a fault of Tom's, as the other had wandered about the corridors with them completely lit up.

"How was I supposed to know that that would prevent them from spawning?" Tom asked as he threw his sword down onto the bed, beginning to unlace his various armor pieces.

"Do most mobs spawn if there are torches everywhere?" Jordan retorted, taking off his helmet to toss it on the floor beside the bed that the younger gamer sat upon. Because he had removed the light sources, he was the one who had ran into the two skeletons that they had the fortune to meet.

"Well you shot one with a flame bow," Tom commented, making sure to lay out some of the other's mistakes, as well. It was only fair.

"That I did," Jordan replied with a sigh, as he had possibly wasted a chance at getting one of the skulls. "I'm dumb,"

"You are a dumb-dumb, but it's ok," Tom responded as he threw his leg plates to a floor in a heap with his boots and helmet. He moved his hands to unclasp his chest plate strappings, but as it had happened before, he was unable undo it. He looked up Jordan, who offered him a slight frown. "Jordan, I uh,"

"I got it," Jordan said, as he had seen Tom fiddling with the piece before the other had looked up to him for assistance. He positioned himself by the younger gamer's side, taking the ornery leather into his hands as to work it free. At last, the clasp unhooked and Tom was able to wriggle free from the diamond plating. "Because I'm such a dumb-dumb,"

"Exactly," Tom replied, feeling his skin ignite as Jordan's hands brushed against them. Perhaps their way of conversation had changed, but the heated exchange that gave off when there was contact had not yet passed. He bit down on the inside of his cheek as Jordan pulled away to tend to his own armor, trying to keep his act of ignorance intact.

Jordan noticed that Tom's cheeks had turned slightly red, perhaps from the embarrassment that he could not take off his armor by himself. Whatever the reason, Jordan disregarded it and went on to remove his own chest plate, sliding it off swiftly. He discarded the rest of his protection onto the floor by his bed and let himself sink down onto the cushioning haven that it was, sprawling about on the sheets next to Tom. "I'm tired," he groaned, wiggling up to lay his head on the pillow.

"That was fucking exhausting," Tom replied, taking his sword off of his side of the bed so that he didn't end piercing himself as he lied down. Facing the other as he leaned back into the bedding, he remembered how he had looked upon him in the same way earlier that morning, although this time Jordan looked back. It was somewhat satisfying to him now that he knew that all was well between the two of them, and that they had partially gotten past yesterday's fiasco that it had been. He was certainly glad that neither of them had gotten mad at the other, yet he knew that he couldn't get mad at Jordan for not speaking the truth. There was nothing to be done about it, anyway. It was best that they moved on, and that was what his little amnesia plan had helped accomplish. He only wished that it had been more pleasing, and that possibly his tortuous feelings had disappeared as his memory supposedly had.

"Get ready for more tomorrow," Jordan said, situating himself onto his side so that he could speak to him normally. His eyes settled in the brown ones across from him, and his breath hitched slightly as they did. He hadn't truly looked into them all day, and now he was able to see a layer of hurt glossed over them. It was as though they were troubled yet content with what they saw, and Jordan found himself to be curious of what they were really seeing. Him, of course, but what about him triggered this morose gleam? A part of him considered the kiss, but that couldn't have been the reason, as Tom knew not of that occurrence. Perhaps it was the day's work that had gotten the other slightly upset, and to Jordan, that made the most sense. It certainly wasn't that daunting memory of the kiss; it was fatigue. In this case, maybe it was in his best interest to make an executive decision. "Or would you prefer to pick flowers?"

Tom's eyes lit up with excitement as he heard Jordan utter the suggestion, as he was dreading the trek back to the Nether for another grouping of grueling hours. "Are you serious?" he asked, propping himself up onto his elbow, dropping down as he watched Jordan nod to confirm. "You are the fucking _best_,"

"I thought I was dumb," Jordan proposed, laughing as Tom expressed his giddiness. He embraced the other's happiness, feeling his own swell and grow. This is what he yearned for; comfort and complacency. It felt as though his whole day had been filled with rush and worry, and now, he could finally lay and bring himself to enjoy the other, and it was blissful. There was still the buzz and slight confusion that he felt whenever he looked at the other, but he didn't know if that would ever go away.

"You are, but the best, as well," Tom said, trying to combine the attributes that he had given the older gamer. He found that it was harder to think as Jordan watched him so closely, and even more difficult to retain composure as the other did. "You're the best dumb-dumb," he concluded sloppily, laying back to let his head fell onto the pillow.

"I see," Jordan said with a small laugh, turning to look up at the ceiling. He was beginning to get more tired by the minute, and all he wished to do now was close his eyes and lose consciousness. After all, they would have a very busy day doing nothing tomorrow. "Well, sir, it was a fun and fulfilling day, and I'm going to have to sleep now or else I won't be able to gather flowers to my best ability tomorrow,"

"Same," tom replied, grinning softly as he closed his eyes. He snuggled into the sheets, letting them inundate him in warmth. He welcomed the adjuvant heat as he did the idea of flames earlier, as now he was ready for them. If he had made it through the day in one piece, he could overcome anything at this point. He had the confidence in himself, as well as the two of them. "Goodnight, Sparkley-Dick,"

"Goodnight, Tom"

* * *

Jordan sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes as he awoke to the early morning light streaming through cracks in the door. He turned and saw Tom's blurred figure lying next to him, still snuggled up in the sheets as he slept soundly. If only Jordan could sleep that restfully. Sadly, that was not the case, as an itching thirst caused him to gain consciousness. Unlike usual, he had forgotten to place a bottle of water next to him on the floor, so he was unable to hydrate as needed throughout the night.

Sighing, he slipped out of the bed quietly as to not disturb his sleeping friend and tip toed over to a chest, trying to see if any bottles were amongst the contents. Pulling an empty one out, he walked over to the door and opened it slightly, squeezing his way through. He felt the crisp morning air against his skin as he left the house, cold dew tickling his bare feet as he traversed through the grass over to the cows. If he was going to be up, he may as well have a bit of a breakfast. From previous experiences, he knew that there would be no way for him to go back to sleep, and he should stay up, seeing as he would just have to get back up soon, anyway.

As he looked across the serene scenery that the early morning had to offer, his eyes settled on their silly little Christmas Spruce. It was quite tall now, and all of the snow that had once been placed on its branches and needles had since melted. He smiled as he looked at the mannequin, the jack o' lantern posed provocatively as Tom had left it. It was a typical move for the younger gamer to make, and Jordan found himself shaking his head as he smiled, thinking of the perpetrator who had done it. That was Tom; the friend who was the poser of pumpkins. The friend that slept peacefully in their house, the friend that saved him in the temple, the friend that killed monsters with him, the friend that was stuck with him until the end. Then, of course, he was also the friend that had kissed him.

He could still feel the tug that Tom gave that had pulled him in close, then the forceful yet dizzying way that he had brought them in even closer together. He could still feel the warmth of the other pair of lips on his own. He could still feel the feelings of confusion and question that had flooded him afterwards, as some of those feelings never really left him. And as he had reasoned, those feelings would never leave, as they would never be resolved. Tom could never tell him why he did what he did if he didn't even recall that he did such a thing, ergo, there was no way. No plausible way that he could ever figure out this mystery that plagued his every thought. And as much as he tried to forget the kiss, he couldn't. It would be forever imbedded in his skin, along with the emotions. Even with the progress that he was making on trying to let the moment slip him by, he couldn't

Jordan stopped walking as he continued to examine the tree, spotting a little piece of paper posted on the trunk. That wasn't right, as he had gotten rid of the note that Tucker and Sonja had left the day before when he had gotten his shirt, so what was this? Letting the curiosity get to him, he moved over to the tree and the sultry mannequin. He plucked the paper off of the thick wood and straightened it out in his hand, letting his eyes breeze over the sprawled words. His grip on the bottle loosened as the words on the note numbed him, and the empty glass fell through his fingers, shattering on the ground beside him. Finding his voice, he read it aloud as to clarify what he had read was truly what had been written down.

_"Not to burst any bubbles, but amnesia can't happen in Minecraft. There's a thing that prevents it in the coding and whatnot to make sure they don't get sued and stuff. So, sorry, Tom, but your little lie doesn't work here. Sincerely, the guy who knows this stuff, Dec."_

Jordan let the note fall out of his hand as he let his arm hang down, letting the words sink in. Tom was not only the friend that kissed him, but he was the friend who kissed him and lied about knowing this fact. "He knew, and he lied," he said to himself, muttering the one thing that floated about in his mind. There were many things that were trying to claw their way to the surface of his conscious, but those five words were all that he could pinpoint. "He lied and he knew,"

**A/N: That was a bit of a lazy chapter, I'll admit. As I mentioned earlier, I've been working on some other things, and sadly, this didn't get the time that it needed. Considering that it's been almost three weeks since I've updated, I wanted to make sure that this came out soon. But yeah, check out my other story if you'd like, and let me know if a new lengthy and continuous Mianite story sounds appealing. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated, and I hope you enjoyed.**

** Yer Boi.**


	7. Chapter Seven: Day 30

**A/N: Wow! It's been a while, and I apologize for that. The end of the grading period/quarter thing came up for school and you know how that can be. But anyway, I have a long and eventful update for this. Yay for that. Also, due to plot preferences, I removed the beginning of the next episode and put it in here. It just seemed to work better. That shouldn't be too much of a problem, though. Anyway, enjoy! ****:)**

* * *

Tom sat up in bed, groaning as he rubbed his eyes to help adjust them to their new opened state. The bright rays of sunlight flooded into the house, finding their way obnoxiously into the unprepared and dazed slits of Tom's eye lids. "Fucking hell, man. We need to get some curtains or something," he said openly, flopping back down onto the bed to shove his face back into the sheltered darkness that his pillow offered. "It's ridiculous," he added with a mumble, adjusting his face to peer over at the other across from him, although Jordan was not in his usual spot opposite of him in the bed.

Confused, Tom sat up once again to look about their house, eyes scanning wall to wall. The older gamer was not in their home, as it seemed. "Jordan?" he called out, moving to free himself from his entanglement in the sheets so he could pursue the act of locating the other. Leaving the beds, he went to the door, raising a hand up to shield his vulnerable eyes from the sun. "Jordan?" he repeated once he reached the door frame, lowering his hand so he could look about the area outside as his eyes grew accustomed to the brightness. Against what he would have assumed, Jordan was not situated at the patio furniture for their morning meal. "Where the fuck…?" he drifted off as he continued outside, turning to gaze over the island in all directions. Where could Jordan have gone off to, then?

He could feel himself getting antsy as his glazed over in the direction of spawner, deciding to go over there to investigate. As he reached the opening to the dank interior, he noticed that only a few skeletons and spiders lurked inside. Could Jordan have gone in to collect some resources, and then died? Tom's stomach churned at the thought of the other passing while he himself had been passed out, as he wished to not even imagine the scene. Yet so gracefully it was pictured in his mind, tortuous images of red painted over the still body of his friend. It drove him away from the entrance, stumbling back as he tried to escape the arduous thoughts that now prodded at him.

Jordan couldn't actually be dead, though, because he would have yelled, and Tom would have heard him. Surely, Tom would have been able to hear him. There would have been some way to tell, as there had been with Sonja and Tucker. His skin would crawl and there would have been a gust a wind that opened the door and alerted him _because he would have had to have been alerted._ Therefore, since he hadn't been, Jordan must still be alive and simply not present. That simply had to be it. But, if he wasn't here, then where was he?

Walking back to the house, Tom noticed that the chest by their Christmas tree lay ajar. He found it odd, though, as he remembered it being closed when he had come back from the Nether the previous day. Jordan had shut the lid, he was sure. He moved to investigate the tree and the chest resting underneath it, finding a note written in Jordan's sprawl.

_In the Nether. Changed my mind._

_-J_

He placed a hand on his hip as he read through the letter over again, making sure that the words were not leading him falsely. So he had been correct in the fact that the other was alive, yet this knowledge did not nullify his unease. Jordan had decided that he would completely disregard their plans for a day off, and he hadn't even bothered to notify Tom decently. The other could have woken Tom up so that he might possibly accompany him, or in the very least put the note in a somewhat visible place. Either way, something had to be up.

What had driven Jordan to ignore their vacation day? Was he just doing what he thought was a better use of their time? If so, he could have asked Tom to come along. Unless he wished to let Tom enjoy the day off while he worked, and that sort of seemed like something Jordan might do, but not really. If anything, the older gamer would have dragged Tom's ass out of bed so that he could bear the work with him, but this was not the case, as Tom remained home.

Jordan must have wished to go alone, but why? Had he done something to anger the other? From what he was able to recollect, they went to bed quite placatingly. Although, one particular controversial event popped into mind from a few days earlier, but he dismissed it without a second thought. There was no way Jordan was upset about that, as everything had gone well the day before. They were good, as they had moved on from that incident, thanks to Tom's cogent plan.

Deciding to get to the bottom of whatever was going on with his absent friend, Tom turned on his heels and went for his armor in the house, leaving the note to fall onto the grass. Whatever it was that had Jordan dismayed, he would make sure it was brought to attention, and hopefully eradicated. After all, whatever was costing him his day off deserved his attention.

Little did he know, though, that he was about to reckon with the one thing that he wished above all else to avoid.

* * *

Jordan wandered through the deep maroon halls, sword hanging loosely in his grasp. He had been in the fortress for a good hour now, yet he was unable to stumble upon more than a mere magma cube. It was a bit frustrating, as their progress was now dwindling down to a very slowed pace. They had been doing so well; tearing through bosses and mobs as it seemed. Yet now they couldn't so much as find a measly skeleton. Of all the things that they had conquered, this little task stood in their way, and it was tedious and vapid and utterly embittering.

Jordan felt a sudden burst of anger tighten his muscles, and he threw his sword at the wall to relieve it. The sound of the metal clashing with the brick was somewhat satisfying, and he found himself drawing to a calm. He watched as the abused weapon lay on the floor, sliding down the wall opposite of the one he had attacked so he could sit down. Kicking the sword with his foot as to push it further away, he drew his resting leg up so that he could rest his elbow on it, letting his hand prop up his forehead. "Goddamn," he muttered, rubbing his temples to soothe the heated emotion that seemed to have built up there.

He knew that he wasn't as mad at the Wither skeletons as he had lead himself to believe, as he had always known that the process for getting the skulls would be a lengthy one; it was a simple fact. His and Tom's progression in the game was not the cause for this outburst, but a catalyst. The true begetter of his frustrations was the mystery of him and Tom themselves. All that he had figured to be true about them was coiling about into tall and mysterious walls, and he felt as though he were being placed within them and had to constantly find his way through their maze. Well, more recently he had felt this way.

Everything had been perfectly normal in his relationship with his friend when they had started on the island, yet from then to now he felt as though things had evolved drastically. But when did this emotional anomaly of a process begin? When had things changed? If he were to guess, he would say that the kiss would have been the origin, as it was the most obvious thing. Yet, when he contemplated it further, he realized that it was even evident before that, although just barely. There were the easier things to see, like the concoction of their little "ship" thing that was _SyndiSparklez_, and of course the time when Jordan had caught Tom sleeping on his leg. But then there were the indiscernible things such as the way Tom smiled at him in those crazy moments of pure chaos, or when their playful banter escalated to splash fights that were telling signs.

It was all there, and it left Jordan with a warm feeling as he thought back through the memories that he and Tom had assembled together. Tom made him contented, and that was clear to him now. Yet everything else was confusing and atramentous as he tried to think past the other day; when the foundation of that relationship was shattered. Or, perhaps, it was reconfigured. But as far as he knew, it had been negatively impacted. After all, if Tom had been complacent with what he had done, why had he run away? Why had he lied? He must have had a decent level of regret and disgust to pretend that he had suffered an injury just to erase the evidence of that kiss. It was the only thing that made sense.

Dropping his hand from its place on his head, he pushed up off of the ground and grabbed his sword. He let the weapon hang loosely at his side as he began to travel through the halls once more, deciding that it would be more productive of him if he went on to scour the fortress as he had been doing. Yet he found it so much harder to wander about and concentrate now that his head was cluttered endlessly with confusion.

Sighing, Jordan shook his head as to rattle the thoughts out of it and went on his way.

He made his way slowly back to the entrance area that had the lava fall, taking his time as to check the corners as he went. Like his luck, there were no signs of the dark knights to be seen. It was beginning to get ridiculous at this point, for not a single skeleton was about the fortress.

"Is it just me?" He mumbled, descending down a flight of stairs. He passed by the patch of dirt that sat where the basin of lava used to be, a pigman grunting a dismissal as he the exited the room. Coming into the main corridor, he turned to walk down to the 'sentry tower' to check if any skeletons had manifested up on the roof, but he stopped as a bright blue flare captured his attention.

"Jordan?"

* * *

Tom bent down to pick up a magma cream that had dropped from one of the several fiery cubes that squandered about his feet, catching sight of an armored figured down the hall from him. He had been in the fortress for only a few minutes, and he was glad to see that his search for the other hadn't taken long. If anything, he was simply glad to see that Jordan was alright after he had experience a brief term of panic searching for him earlier. He then called out to him, seeing if he could gain his friend's attention. It had worked, as Jordan had stopped moving. "Jordan!"

Jordan felt his breath slowly draw out, as the sudden appearance had been made when he was negligent. He could feel the anxiety and tension build up as he saw the other down the hallway, his heart jumping beats as he heard his name called again. He suspected that Tom would eventually come down to the Nether and confront him, but not quite this soon, and he found that he was a bit mentally unprepared for it. All this time he spent wondering why Tom did what he did, and not an ounce went to the consideration of what he would do once he saw him again. Would he brush it off and ignore the problem altogether? As it seemed he wasn't the only one who dealt with things in that fashion. Yet, Tom was bound to be suspicious, and therefore annoyingly pressing. As much as he wished against it, they would need to discuss things. "Tom," he choked out, finding that the name caught in his throat; unwilling to be uttered.

"Hey, man, you alright?" Tom asked, kicking away the rest of the magma cubes so that he could advance towards Jordan. The struggle the other gamer had expressing Tom's name was audible and this worried him. Had something gone wrong? Or perhaps was Jordan troubled by something? The concern grew on him as he got closer to the older gamer, watching as he avoided his gaze. It was somewhat painful, as Tom hadn't the faintest whim of why Jordan would be facing whatever turmoil it was that he was experiencing, and judging by his actions, he was reluctant to divulge it to Tom. It was a bit of a stab to his own pride, as he had believed their relations to be closer and stronger, yet Jordan was now holding back and running away. Not that he was one to judge.

Bringing his empty hand up to rub his face, Jordan cringed and turned away, facing the hall perpendicular to the one that the other gamer occupied. He couldn't bring himself to look upon Tom, let alone meet his eyes. The simple image of the other was too disheartening, as it brought about the nauseating confusion that kept surfacing. For a split second he contemplated just walking away, but he knew that would accomplish nothing. They would end up running circles around one another; a constant loop of avoidance and hurt feelings. And being the one that had a knack for peace and justice, he could not let that happen. Actions must be accounted for and recognized, no matter how emotionally unnerving they may be. "Dec left this for you," he mumbled, pulling the note that he had picked up earlier that morning out of his bag to hand it to Tom.

"What?" Tom asked, curious as to what he could have left for him. And if it were specifically for him, and Jordan happened to read it, this situation could turn very problematic. What could be written in this scrap of paper that made the older gamer run off the way he had? Tom had only one idea, and it was one that made him want to run off, as well. Taking the note from Jordan, he opened it up and glazed over the it, the words numbing him as they were read. He could feel his hand quivering slightly as he held onto the paper, biting his tongue as he realized that the truth had been unfolded as the paper had been. "Jordan," he whispered, looking away from the page as he finished. He was unable to say anymore as he glanced at Jordan, an obvious glimmer of hurt was evident in his eyes. He could make some half-witted joke about their awkward situation like he normally would, but Tom found himself too tense and concerned to let that part of him to be exercised right now.

"Why'd you lie, Tom?" Jordan questioned, shifting his gaze to the floor as he pursed his lips into a thin line. It was there, the truth, sitting right in the hands of the one who had cast it away in the first place. He wondered how it felt to hold it after it was forced back at you; a tenfold more vile and prominent. Or so that was what he figured, and he wasn't far off. In most cases, that's what the truth is. It's a heated stew of everything that he would want to keep down and hidden, where he thought it should be, but somehow it managed to crawl back up and expelled itself against his control, creating a mess of hurtful words. That was what the truth was; an acidic bile of these hurtful words that brewed into a sickness, and he had experienced this flu many times.

As well as Jordan, Tom felt the familiar lull in his stomach as his nerves began to dwindle. He refolded the note into its rectangular shape, trying to let some of the anxiety vent out through pointless motions. It was hard to evaluate his current situation, as he hadn't planned on needing to consider such things and then put them into something understandable for the other to comprehend. Why _had_ he ran? What had propelled him away from Jordan after he had so unexpectedly kissed him? He replayed the moment back in his head, reminiscing the way he had pulled Jordan in and embraced him. As he did, he felt a warm tingle; the dizzying buzz of nervous excitement that had captivated him since the incident. But, if anything, such a pleasurable feeling would have only have wanted him to prolong it and stay, and not do the opposite. So it must not have been the actual action of kissing Jordan that led him to making the rapid decision to flee, but the feeling he had gotten seconds after."I was afraid," he muttered, voice breaking off slightly at the end, as the acidic honesty burnt his throat.

Jordan could understand the fear, as he had experienced his own bit panic after the kiss had taken place. His fear was that Tom had felt regret and shame for what he had done; disgusted with himself. It was a bit angering to think that he had bailed out after offering such an alarming blow, and Jordan had wished for the other to stay longer, perhaps. This was an odd realization, as it alluded to the thought that had somewhat liked the kiss, which he supposed was true. The moment itself was beyond pleasant, and the only thing that plagued was its aftermath. And now, to think that Tom regretted an experience that he had personally enjoyed was embarrassing, as it was discouraging overall. "Afraid of what?" he prompted, as he needed to find out what exactly Tom had been thinking.

Tom gave his lip a slight bite as he thought about the question asked in depth. What _was_ he afraid of? He could pinpoint the emotion of fear itself, as he could still feel it now, rampant and controlling as it dominated his heart rate, but what had it derived from? What idea or thought was manifesting this anxiety? Thinking back to the scene again, he tried to place his train of thought. He had felt the urge to kiss Jordan, overwhelming him until he gave into it. Then, the kiss itself was laudably sensational and oddly satisfactory. And that, of course, certainly did not makes him scared. How could he have been afraid of something that he had liked? Then again, it was completely understandable and fitting. He was scared because he had found the experience somewhat genial. _He liked that he had kissed Jordan_.

It was terrifying and unusual, as he hadn't quite ever had such an unearthing revelation. This realization opened up the door to a conglomeration of small fears that branched off of the initial thought, sending a wave of nervous venom through his system. So he had enjoyed it, but had Jordan? If not, their future relationship was bound for awkward tension, which may or may not get resolved anytime soon. It was a dejecting thought, as he wished for no such decorrelation between them, and to think that he was the one that would have caused this with his action of ceding a simple impulse was even more so. What if had ruined their friendship?

Looking up but away from the other's gaze, Tom twiddled his thumbs as he felt humility tug at him. "That I screwed everything up,"

_There it is,_ Jordan thought, as he had now heard Tom admit that he had committed something regretful and aggrieving. Although, as he thought through the other's choice of words, he considered them carefully. Tom hadn't directly said that he had made a mistake, but that he had muddled something in general; a totally different meaning. Could this be deliberate, or simply thoughtless? "What do you mean?" He asked, wishing for further clarification. It was most likely that Tom had misspoke or that Jordan was simply over-analyzing the situation, but then again, there was always the chance that he was wrong.

Tom cringed as he was beckoned to continue his demeaning confession, as it was just that; embarrassing. Here he stood in front of his long-time friend, choking up forced bits of his digested emotion for the other to pick apart and mock. It was excruciating for his pride to endure, as it had not taken such astounding blows in what seemed to be ages due to the fact that he had so much of it. And here Jordan was, drawing out the pain by ordering Tom to cough up more of his humiliating confessions. Well, if the other wanted to deride him so, then he would give him what he wanted. Why not? What more torment could the older gamer inflict than he already had? Their friendship was bound to be frayed anyway, so he may as well admit all of his speculations.

Swallowing his belittled pride, Tom looked down to face Jordan. "Because it's awkward and embarrassing. I mean, I fucking kissed you!" He paused, letting himself laugh at how ridiculous it began to seem to him. "And you think that I'm a bit of a creep or something now, but you know what? Fuck it, Jordan. It happened; I kissed you, and I fucking liked it!" Tom relented quickly, panting as he spat the last few words. "Fuck," he added for good measure, as he had used that curse quite a few times and it felt justifying to be uttered again.

Jordan's cheeks reddened as he processed what Tom had said, the words sinking in like sharp needles. They were initially piercing and acute, then numbing as they sank into his skin, reducing the feeling to a dull tingle. Was today a day that Jordan was hard of hearing, or was Tom actually speaking what he was heeding? "W-what?" he murmured, watching as Tom's features grew an equally bright shade of crimson.

Tom had anticipated laughter and criticism, yet Jordan stood still and quite red; utterly shocked. Surely the other hadn't expected Tom to outright admit such a thing, but wasn't he going to taunt him? Or something like that? Perhaps, though, that was what Tom wanted the other to do, as to shun him from feeling this way. And Jordan wasn't the type to diminish one for such things when there was a somewhat serious tone to the conversation, anyway. He simply wanted to be instructed or shown that this wasn't right, but all he was getting was a feeling of awkwardness, as it seemed he would have to explain himself further.

"I kissed you. I don't know why I did it, but it happened. And I liked it, Jordan. I liked kissing you. And that's crazy, I know! It's fucking crazy! I knew that it was fucked up, and I wanted to salvage our relationship because I knew you would be creeped out by me or some shit, and quite frankly I didn't want to deal with it-" he paused, taking a deep breath as he watched Jordan remain emotionless in his state of shock. "-so I lied about it. And I apologize for that,"

Jordan took a tentative step forward, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth as he rationalized Tom's confirmation. So apparently, given this new information, he wasn't as insane as he thought himself to be. There were new and inexperienced feelings that were budding between of the two of them, and it seemed as though he wasn't the only one who could was aware of this fact. "Tom," he said, biting his lip as he got a stupid idea. He truly wished to find a way to try and communicate his findings to the other, and only one little thought came to mind, and this one he was willing to put to the test. "Kiss me again," he finished.

Tom felt a warm flow of confusion encompass him as he heard Jordan command for him to repeat the action that had gotten them into this suffocating situation. What was he thinking? What twisted motive did he have for asking Tom to perform this task yet again? The anger that derived from his hurt returned and he felt himself getting hot, steaming with heated embarrassment. Hadn't he just concluded that Jordan wouldn't torment him in such ways? That he wouldn't poke at the sore spot that Tom had revealed? Perhaps this was the reason why Tom always secluded himself from the others in their games; he feared that the others would attack the few things that he was vulnerable to, even thought he constantly did that to them, although in smaller ways with material items. Yet, it always hurt to have the same sort of torment thrown back into one's face. A taste of their own medicine, although it was always harder to swallow knowing the effects that the painful drug had. And to think that Jordan would throw himself at Tom just to produce these effects was but merciless."No, Jordan! Don't tease me like this. Like I said, I-"

Cutting Tom off, Jordan sealed the space between them, grabbing the other by the face as the younger gamer had done before. The same heat that had been lightly tickling his senses the past few days grew to a stunning amount as he locked lips with Tom, relighting the notion that he had conceived earlier. As he pulled away, though, the heat remained as it pulsated through his body, flushing his cheeks to vibrant shades. He saw that Tom reflected the same color as he looked down at him, wide-eyed and stuttering. Jordan offered a shy smile in return, the swarm of fervor still slowly broiling inside of him. As he had thought before he conducted this little experiment with his emotions, he found that he was quite satisfied -if not extremely- with the way he felt now.

"Jordan, did you just…?" Tom started, trailing off as he watched the other nod and bite his lip. He raised a finger into the air as he was preparing to continue, but retracted it as he decided against saying anything more. He was an idiot, or so he felt like one. Then again, the thought of Jordan reciprocating the interest had been so far out of his mind that he thought it near impossible, so he had conceived a completely different perception of what was going on. The idea that Jordan could have had the slightest enjoyment in the spastic burst of passion that Tom had made seemed so impossible to him that he had reasoned terrible things about the other's motives, leaving him quite ashamed. Lo and behold, his implausible fantasy had bestowed itself just a moment ago. Yet it had lasted only a moment, as well, and Tom found himself too excited to let it stay at that. Running a hand through his un-helmeted hair, he walked around in a circle as he let out his breath in a low hiss, looping around to grab Jordan to pull back into him once more.

Jordan laughed as Tom grabbed him, humming into the other's lips as they were joined. The rush he had gotten increased as he slid his arms behind Tom's neck, letting the other embrace him warmly. The sensations that he was receiving were dizzying, as this was actually the first time that they actually managed to kiss each other, and not one dumbly catching the other off guard. It was odd to think that just the other day they had been casually fighting monsters and laying in the sand, yet here they were now, wrapped in each other's arms as if they were a couple in high school.

"What the actual fuck?" Tom said with a small laugh, grinning as he and Jordan separated. The whole situation that he had found himself entangled in with the other was completely surreal to him. Like Jordan was thinking, it was maddening to trace the steps of the past few days that led them to these contingent moments. If only he knew that the fatality of their other friend on the island would lead to this but almost a week later. A truly unpredicted chain of events, as even after he had initially kissed Jordan, he did not expect that things would work out remotely smoothly at all. And, well, he didn't know if this was smooth, either, but it was certainly better.

"No idea," Jordan replied, as he really didn't know what to make of anything at the time. Everything seemed so shaken up lately, and this was no different. Although their relationship was turning more positive than he originally thought it would, it was still heading down a confusing route. Transitions were being made so quickly; from orderly to tense, from tense to hurt, and hurt to amative. How were they ever to get back to the way things were? But then again, perhaps Jordan didn't want things to shift back to the way they had been before.

"Then how about we figure this all out later and just hunt for these damned Wither-dudes?" Tom proposed, taking a minute to look about the hall that they occupied. The headache inducing stress that had built up from everything was itching to be shed with the blood of the lanky skeletons. There was nothing more that he wanted to do at that moment than release this piquant energy of his, as there was no need to keep it balled up anymore. The time for fretting and getting himself worked up over Jordan seemed to be over. For now, at least. He wasn't sure what to expect now that things were much lighter between them, although he did know that he would enjoy it while it lasted.

"Sounds great," Jordan replied with a small laugh, letting the younger gamer lead him out into the dark and winding halls that he had traversed earlier. Perhaps this time it wouldn't feel as lonely.

* * *

"Jordan! I found another one!" Tom called, as he had stumbled upon another wither skeleton from a branching hall that they were investigating. Although they were searching the fortress together, one would sometimes wander off to inspect other parts. Both of them had their share of drifting off, but seemingly every time they did, Tom would stumble upon one by himself.

"Are you serious?" Jordan yelled back, trying to find out where the taller gamer had located himself by listening to the little chirps of Tom taunting the skeleton. In his whole amount of time in the fortress, he had managed to find one wither skeleton on his own, and nothing had even dropped from the mob once he had slain it. Each other time it had been Tom yelling for him, like what was happening now.

"Yeah, up here," Tom said, walking to the edge of the staircase as Jordan began to climb it. The skeleton had transfixed itself on Tom, and was now following him in slow circles as he ran about the room. He threw up his arms, spinning in circles as he swiftly dodged its grasp.

"I may as well just give you the sword," Jordan suggested emptily, as it seemed Tom would have better use for it since he was the one who could actually stumble upon the dark spawns. But of course, he wouldn't actually give it to him. The sword was his to wield, and he would take care of the skeletons.

"That won't be necessary," Tom replied, moving aside as the skeleton directed its attention to the one that now attacked it. It was taken down in a swift swipe, but all that could be collected from it were a few pieces of coal. "I think I may go and collect some levels to reach thirty," he explained, leaning against a wall that he had been next to.

"Why?" Jordan asked, raising an eyebrow. It was odd that Tom would want to do this, as they had already done all of the enchanting that they needed the day before. Unless if he had a certain spell that he longed for, but as far as Jordan knew, they had all that they needed. Then again, Tom had said that he wanted a Power V bow like Jordan had, so perhaps that was all. He just didn't like the feeling that Tom was trying to distance himself already. That was most likely not the case, considering that they had made out just a half hour before, but minds could change that quickly. "The bow?"

"Maybe, I don't know. I'm just really close to it and I want to get to thirty," Tom responded nonchalantly, as his intentions were as pure as that. He had no ulterior desire to leave Jordan, as he enjoyed his company. It was a simple matter of getting things done for the greater picture, that being the task of being well equipped to deal with the Wither. Although, as he checked his belt to see if he had any pickaxes on him that would be of use, he found that he had none that he felt comfortable with losing. He didn't need to waste durability on his fancy pickaxes to simply get quartz that he wasn't even going to need."What kind of pickaxes do you have?"

"I'm not telling you, because if I give it to you then you're just going to run off and abandon me," Jordan said with a pout, pretending to be hurt from the last time that Tom had left him in the fortress. He had spent a good two hours looking for the younger gamer that night, yet when he gave up and went home he had found Tom playing some little game with Sonja that involved slapping cows with steak. It was twisted and beyond strange, and Jordan hadn't been in the best of moods. At the time the ditching had upset him, but now he was able to look back and laugh at the matter. "Again,"

Tom chuckled at Jordan's retort, reminiscing the time that he had accidentally left Jordan in the Nether by himself. It was an honest mistake, as Tom had forgotten that the other accompanied him. And by the time he had gotten halfway home he had realized that he had in fact deserted Jordan. Although he was stubborn, and he was _not _going to turn back and admit his fault_. _"You still mad about that?" He asked, giving the older gamer a look of testy questioning.

"Of course! I mean, it's evident that you like leaving me behind in other dimensions," Jordan added with a smirk, placing a hand on his hip. If they were going to try and get anything to a normal state, he may as well try poking fun at Tom for what he did. After all, they were supposedly past all of this. That and it amused him to see Tom turn pink with embarrassment. _Serves him right._

Tom felt his cheeks redden then shot Jordan a look of displeasure. "Ouch," he said with a belittling laugh, shaking his head as he took the blow. It was bound to come up, but he was glad that the other was able to joke about it. It was a bit stupid, now that he thought about it. There was definitely a pattern, and he genuinely felt bad for both occasions. "How can I make it up to you?" He asked, batting his eyelashes as he sunk to his knees in order to kneel in front of the other one the hard brick flooring, hands stretched out as to seek forgiveness.

Jordan laughed as Tom splayed his sappy scene, taking the other's hands as he tried to keep a straight face, but failing miserably. The younger gamer just looked so utterly ridiculous and adorable, puppy eyes seemingly unavoidable. "How about you stay with me and get us a Wither Skull?" He suggested, pulling a dramatic Tom to his feet.

"Oh, now that sounds absolutely dreadful," Tom replied, rolling his eyes in posed disgust. He straightened himself out and in sheathed his sword from his belt, folding his arms as he looked back at Jordan. "But for you, I suppose I could, and the quartz isn't a priority," he said with a sly grin.

"You should do it for us considering that we'll both be fighting the Wither," Jordan put in as Tom pulled him towards the stairs, one hand still firmly grasped by the other's. It only made sense that Tom would help contribute to their cause, because as he said, they were both in this together. He already had all of the gear that he would ever need, so he may as well accompany Jordan on their hunt. It was simple.

"You're the one with the fancy sword, though, so I'm just kinda useless," Tom said with a groan, tipping his sword arm out so that the weapon ticked along the bricks as they went. If he didn't have the enchantment on his that enabled them to better themselves at the chance at getting the desired skull, then all of the skeletons that fell at the tip of his sword would be wasted. Thus, Jordan may as well just carry on the effort by himself as he conquered some of his own tedious tasks. It was a logical course of action, to him, at least.

"Well you're the only one who can find them," Jordan replied, watching as Tom's sword clicked against the wall repeatedly. It was lousy excuse to keep Tom with him, but true, all the while. And he knew that he had already secured Tom by his side for the next hour or so, so why not at least try to convince him of his value for the little quest? Besides, he was sure that he would enjoy Tom's company more than the pigmen would outside.

"You didn't find a single one before I came?" Tom asked, quite appalled that not one skeleton spawned before he had arrived in the fortress. Sure they were hard to come by, but they were never _that _hard.

"Before? No," Jordan said, thinking back to the frustration that he had felt earlier. If anything could be any more vexing, he had no desire to find out what that activity was. "Maybe they just don't like the sword because they're afraid of it," he added, as that would explain why none dared to come near him. That and it was easier to put the blame on an inanimate object that had no say in the matter. Much easier.

"That's it," Tom replied, turning a corner to find two dark and slender creatures at a further end of the hall. His voice carried and alerted them of his and Jordan's presence, and the skeletons drew nearer to them as they stood still. Letting go of the older gamer's hand, he stepped out of his way to allow Jordan to pursue their aggressors. "Go get 'em, boy," he commanded, giving Jordan a slight shove forward.

Turning to shoot the other an expression of annoyance, Jordan continued forward and met the skeletons, quickly striking one and then the next. Although as he began to transition his attack to the other, the initial one had lunged forward and grasped Jordan's wrist, it's bony fingers wrapping around it as his skin turned to a charcoal black. "Dammit!" he expressed, giving his sword a strong swing to disintegrate both of the perpetrators. He fell to his knees, gasping as his vision narrowed to that of tunnel, a feeling sharp pain emanating though his core as though he were dying from the inside out. As painful as it was, he knew that the effect was only temporary, and that in a few minutes he would be perfectly fine.

"Get withered?" Tom called in question, walking over to the other as he saw him crumple to the ground. He had his fair share of wither skeleton-pokes, and they were not fun in the least. They were certainly worse that the guardians' prods, even though the sea creatures' menacing spells lasted quite a bit longer. After all, mining fatigue didn't as easily kill someone. Not directly, at least. "You okay, bud?" he asked with a frown, placing a hand on Jordan's shoulder as the other struggled to his feet.

"Yeah, it just hurts," Jordan replied, rubbing his temple as the ache subsided. The worst part of getting withered was the headache that came afterwards, as it usually took a good amount of time to leave completely. "I'll be alright," he finished.

"Let's get a move on, then," Tom said, offering an encouraging pat on the shoulder that his hand had rested on. "These skeletons won't behead themselves,"

"I wish they would," Jordan groaned, rubbing the place on his wrist that had been blackened. After the withering effects diminished the mark turned into mere charcoal or ash, he wasn't sure which one. It didn't really matter, anyway, seeing as it could easily be washed off. "This would be so much quicker,"

Tom laughed at Jordan's response, an image of an Emo skeleton performing acts of self mutilation forming in his mind. It was morbid, yet he found it somewhat amusing. Although the scene was an interesting one, a wither skeleton cutting its arms was ridiculous, as it had no flesh to penetrate, nor any will to commit such acts against itself. Then again, he had no idea for what it was like living in the Nether.

"What are you snickering about to yourself?" Jordan asked, as Tom's sniveling had caught his attention. He gave Tom a small smack with the flat of his sword, prompting the other to speak. Tom often did this; laugh to himself about something mysteriously, and sometimes he would relent to him what it was or he would refuse. Annoying, either way.

"Don't worry about it," Tom said, deciding that he would keep the thought to himself. It wasn't exactly one worth sharing, anyway.

"I don't like it when you keep things from me, Tom," Jordan replied in a whiny tone, lips in a pout as he turned away from the younger gamer. Even though the origin of Tom's secluded laughs held no dire importance to him at the time, he knew that there was a way to get the information from him, anyway. All he had to was simply play Tom.

Turning to go down another staircase, Tom faced Jordan and gave him a peeved look. "Oh shu-" he paused as he collided with something around the corner, catching him by surprise. "What the fuck?" He yelled, swinging a fist up to assault his obstructer. It wasn't anything intentional, as he had been unprepared and honestly startled. It was a reflex.

Jordan watched in horror as Tom shoved the pigman off of him, hitting it down the stairs in the process. Angered squeals could be heard as it tumbled down, although a silence ensued as it reached the bottom. "Tell me that you didn't just do that," Jordan said, eyes wide as he looked from the steps to Tom.

"I fucking did," Tom choked out, covering his mouth with his hand as he reached out to place the other on Jordan's arm. How stupid could he be? Did he _want _to get them both killed? Because now, that's what was very possible thanks to him and his jumpy impulses. Although perhaps the rest of them hadn't sensed that their kin had died, as technically it was gravity that had taken its life and not Tom's direct hand. Then again he had still agro'd the pigman by bitch slapping it. "Maybe we'll be okay," he suggested hopefully, but a collective roar -or squeal, rather- from the depths of the fortress told him otherwise.

"We're screwed," Jordan stated, frowning as he heard the cries. "We should be fine, though, as long as we stay inside the fortress. Most of them are probably outside," he said, reassuring Tom as well as himself. It made sense, though, as the ones within the fortress would be easier to deal with. Yet if they attacked them that would re-anger the rest out in the Nether, so either way they were going to have a rough time.

"We can still try for a skull, yeah?" Tom asked, as he wasn't going to leave just yet, not without at least one of what they came for. Or at least what Jordan had come for, as Tom had entered the Nether in hopes of retrieving the older gamer and he had done just that, and maybe a bit more. Definitely more, actually, as he had now trapped the two of them into the confines of the dimension's only place of refuge, which even then was not the safest place.

"I mean, we can, but don't go slapping the skeletons," Jordan teased, earning a piercing glance from the other as they went down the steps. "I'll handle them so you don't hurt your hand anymore," he said as he looked to tom's fist which was bruising a bit. "You really hit him hard,"

"He scared the shit out of me," Tom replied, flexing the said hand as to stretch the wounded skin. "It's not the worst I've ever gotten. You've seen what punching trees can do to a guy," he added apathetically, as it wasn't that big of a concern.

"Well, yeah, but have you ever been in an actual fight?" Jordan asked curiously, as Tom seemed the character that would cause a ruckus if need be. It was the ruthless and youthful aggressions that he possessed that made Jordan suspect this, as someone with the fighting skill that the younger gamer possessed would have definitely had previous encounters. Well, most likely, anyway. Jordan found himself to be a proficient fighter in a sense, and he hadn't ever hit and actual person. Perhaps his assumption was wrong, but he knew that he was probably right.

"Of course! As a matter of fact, not too long before we got here I fought a guy because he was being racist in a fast food restaurant," Tom responded with a small laugh, recalling the incident. He had been a bit under the influence, as the other had been as well. That was probably the reason that he had gotten involved with anything at all. "I had a good busted lip for a day or two, and my knuckles were purple. You could say that my mum's proud,"

"A vigilante, are we?" Jordan said with a smirk, noting that Tom was trying to show off a bit. Of course he was; it was Tom, and his ego never ceased to inflate. Any chance he could to boast about something, Tom would take with both hands.

"I was just trying to get him out of there, and then _BAM _he hit me. So then I hit back, and you know how it goes," Tom said, letting Jordan fill in the rest. He didn't need to paint a picture of how he and the other guy had roughed about, as truly the details were unnecessary. That, and because he had been drunk so he didn't remember it all. "Just doing what had to be done,"

"I'm sure," Jordan replied shaking his head in dismissal. "Meanwhile, I've never punched somebody," he added with a shrug of his shoulders, as he hadn't ever needed to resort to violence in order to situate anything. He preferred arguments to stay at a verbal state, as he wasn't one to get physical. It wasn't the way he handled things.

"Not once?" Tom questioned, as he found it hard to believe that the older gamer hadn't found an instance in his life where he had to hit somebody. _Yet Jordan calls himself a man…_

"Well, there was this time in Kindergarten," He began, remembering a time when he possibly did assault another person. It was a ridiculous scenario, but he did believe that it counted. "I'm going to sound like such a dick," he added, shaking his head with a small chuckle.

"Did you wreck him, mate?" Tom asked as they came down to the main hall that they had been in before, a few blazemen floating about. He moved to attack them, as they were seemingly one of the few things in the fortress that he was allowed to pursue. And as he did so, he listened for Jordan to divulge his story.

"It's completely absurd, and I don't even know why I punched the guy. But anyway, I was playing handball," he paused, as Tom had yelled for him.

"Wait, get that skeleton there," Tom interrupted, pointing to a wither skeleton that had appeared behind the blazemen that he had been getting rid of.

"I got it, I got it," Jordan said, jogging past Tom in order to get to the wither skeleton, dodging blazemen as he did so. He managed to take it down without getting its vexing withering effects, yet the pesky blazemen kept firing their heated ballistae at him, each blow emitting hot pings as they struck. "Ouch, stop it," he directed to the blazeman nearest him as he cut through it, killing the flaming spawn. "Rude,"

As Tom finished off the last of the blazemen, he looked to the ground where Jordan stood. "Did it drop anything?" he asked, as it appeared that nothing lay on the floor but dust and a few orange rods from the blazemen. "Or did the guys burn it?"

"I don't think anything dropped," Jordan replied with a sigh, as it was to be expected. _Of course it wouldn't give us a skull. It never does, anyway._

"Shit, well, handball then?" Tom prompted, as he was interested to hear Jordan's one and only fight story. He leaned against the wall opposite of Jordan, showing the other that he was ready for him continue.

"Oh, yeah. I was playing handball or something like that, and I had accidentally knocked the ball out. So then this kid then came up to me and told me to go and get it, and when he did, I punched him for some reason," Jordan finished, laughing as he finished the tale.

"What the fuck?" Tom exclaimed, chuckling at the pure absurdity that the other's story was. "I like that in mine I just did it for self defense or whatever, and you just thug it up," he added, as he hadn't expected Jordan to have committed such a random act of violence, or even young Jordan, for that matter. He had pictured him standing up against a bully or performing some commendable act of justice, as it was attributable to his traits, yet it was the complete opposite. "Did he try to take your ball or something?"

"Nope, just came up and told me to get the ball. Then I hit him. I was like, five, and I have no idea why I did it," Jordan said, as he truly didn't know what had gone through his mind that made him assume that hitting the kid was the correct course of action. It was quite odd, in the least.

"Jeez, Jordan," Tom said with a small laugh, looking at the other opposite him. It was certainly atypical for Jordan, but he supposed that it was just another thing that he had learned about the older gamer that he wouldn't have foreseen otherwise. The story had also reminded him of his first encounter and he felt that it was suitable enough to share. "I had my first fight when I was about six or seven, and there was this one guy who was known as 'the tough guy' or whatever, and he would get into play fights with people all the time. Most of 'em didn't really want to do it, but he annoyed them to the point where they gave in, and I thought to myself _if he ever does that to me I'm going to hit him!_ And sure enough, one day not to long after I said that to myself, he was like _yep, I'm gonna do it,_ and he started to play fight with me. So pushed him off of me, and me as a little six year old just went _smack _and hit him right in the nose. His initial reaction was to smack me right back, and we just stood there, two six year olds, going back and forth hitting each other's noses,"

"Oh god," Jordan said, laughing as pictured little Tom whacking some other kid in the face. It wasn't as aggressive as he thought it would be, but derpy, nonetheless.

"Yeah, and the teachers came running over like _what are you doing?!_ And we didn't know what to do because we just stood there, one hit-one hit each other's noses. And so we went to the restroom to wash the blood off of our noses," he paused as he saw Jordan raise an inquisitive brow, realizing that he was playing it up a bit. "I know I make it sound bad, but it was just a little nosebleed,"

"Oh, ok," Jordan said, as he had imagined something a bit messier. He knew from many previous experiences that things with Tom would either turn things to that of something very ugly or sloppy in just a miniscule portion of time. With a new image of the scenario, he nodded to signal for the younger gamer to continue.

"So we went to the toilet and ended up just laughing about it, and then we actually became good friends," Tom finished, laughing at the slight irony. He focused his attention on Jordan again, watching the other shake his head and chuckle at the tale.

"Fight Club stories with Team Syndisparklez," Jordan commented, giving their current situation a label. It was what they were doing, anyway. Yet as he formed the word _Syndisparklez_, he felt a sense of content flow through him. It was warm and powerful, and he could also feel himself blush as the warmth trickled over his cheeks. After all, the last time that he had used the phrase there had light and innocuous definition that had been tied to it, but now that definition was not as definitive. What had been a silly little title to mock their companionship now represented the complex whirlwind that they were spiraling into; a confusing yet pleasant storm, and this rain that poured down from it was not anything to shield himself from or block out with an umbrella. He would let the drops drench his skin, as he liked the sensation.

Tom noticed Jordan turn pinkish and he smiled, walking over to the other to sling an arm over his shoulder. It was somewhat cute, and Tom couldn't help but grin wider as he saw Jordan redden even more now that he was clinging to him. "That's us," he stated, giving Jordan a squeeze. "So how about Team Syndisparklez gets that Skeleton head?"

"Sounds good, but you'll have to let me go first," Jordan said, poking at Tom's side. It wasn't bad having the other hug him like this, but if they actually wanted to accomplish anything, this wasn't exactly the most efficient way about doing it.

"Maybe I don't want to," Tom replied, pulling Jordan closer. What began as an arm over a shoulder had now transformed into a complete hug from behind, Jordan standing awkwardly as Tom encompassed him.

"Well, what about the skull?" Jordan asked, tilting his head back as to assume an angle where he could see Tom somewhat. One second the other wants to set off and adventure the dangerous Nether fortress, then in the next he wants to cuddle in the middle of said fortress. Jordan would point out how ridiculous Tom's priorities could change so rapidly, but he stopped as he felt the younger gamer's lips brush his cheek, planting a small kiss there.

Tom grinned as he saw Jordan's cheeks saturate a tenfold, as he couldn't resist the action. He simply found it adorable when Jordan got so bashful and mousy, and the fact that he was a bit taller enabled him to easily send the other into this state once more. "If you insist," He said, untangling his arms off of Jordan as he walked off in the direction that they entered the corridor from.

"Tom!" Jordan exclaimed with frustration, although a little laugh crept into his voice. It was nonsensical for Tom to simply tease him like that, but he supposed that it was the other's duty to instill harmless fun like this, even if it meant being utterly difficult. "Son of a bitch," he muttered to himself, following after the other gamer.

"Come on, now," Tom called back, turning to look behind him as Jordan jogged up to reach him. The older gamer came up next to him, nudging him in the side with his elbow. Tom gave him a smile, which was returned with a smug expression. They passed by the lava fall and sentry tower, heading over to the main hall that lead out to a few blaze spawners in order to investigate there. Once inside of it, he looked to the entrance and opposite, finding an abundance of mobs to their left. "Oh, shit, look at them," he said, as there was a giant magma cube as well as a few blazemen, an angered pigman, and a skeleton.

"Oh boy," Jordan commented, watching as Tom jogged ahead to take care of the blazemen. The pigman that he had spotted was well on his way towards them, sword arm lopped awkwardly in the air as it prepared to somehow use it. Yet Tom looked fairly preoccupied at the moment, so Jordan stepped forward to meet the peeved spawn, killing it quickly. As he did, another uproar of squeals could be heard in the distance. "Damn it,"

Tom sliced through the last of the blazemen and looked to their entrance, rushing over with a few blocks of Netherrack. "Don't want to risk it," he explained, as a determined zombie-pig could very well find its way through and attack them. Sadly, he knew this from unfortunate experience. If they were re-agro'd and they themselves were this close to an exit, they would not want to take any risks. Not now.

"Alright, want me to get Mr. Skeleton over here?" He asked, as it was trying to reach them quite furiously but it's limber body was blocked by the loitering cube. He could see the frustration in the way the jawbone was gritting with his upper-skull, as the only thing the skeleton wished for was to break past and break their necks. Simple facts.

Tom blocked part of the entrance, sealing off the bottom half so that they could crawl through, but the stark bodies of the undead would not be able to conduct similar actions, so it was safe enough. Coming down the stairs, he heard Jordan repeat his question, and he nodded in compliance. Although, as he looked at the skeleton struggle to push against the scalding magma cube, he almost felt pitiful. How hard it was to overcome such hampering obstacles, as he had tried to leap over his many times. Sometimes he would be able to hurdle over them with ease on the first attempt, but with things like his most recent conflict, he would trip and fall face first into the welcoming dirt as failure befell him. Yet, that was how life went, and he wouldn't let a few complications impede his ability to jump. Although Wither skeletons knew not of this metaphor. "That skeleton right there shall be named Jim Bob," he declared, as he felt that this particular wither skeleton deserved a title like the other mobs that they had fought.

"Alright, well, Jim Bob is going to die," Jordan said, approaching the cube with his sword pointed and ready. He swung at the Skeleton, chopping into Jim Bob's spine. The blade carried, though, and he found that he had also struck the cube. This then caused the magma cube to divide into four smaller versions of itself, all flopping around in heated heaps. "Crap," he muttered, as now Jim Bob was set loose and chasing him as well as the little smoldering cubes. "Tom! I done goofed," he relented, listening as the younger gamer groaned behind him.

"Look at what you did! Get Jim Bob and I'll take care of the cream-things," Tom replied, laughing as he watched the cubes barge themselves at Jordan's legs, making it quite difficult for the other to retaliate against the skeleton. "You noob,"

"Come over and help me!" Jordan exclaimed as he was finally able to get rid of Jim Bob, a pile of dust falling around his feet in clouds as bones and coal clattered down. He bent over to sift through the droppings, yet as he did, a few of the magma cubes assaulted him at once and sent him sprawling to the floor. "Tom!" He yelled, a bit aggravated that all the other was doing was watching this sad scene.

"Alright, alright," Tom said, coming over to aide Jordan. He took a couple strikes at the four cubes, splitting them even more. Once he had done this successfully to all of them, he lent a hand out to Jordan and helped to ease him off of the ground. "Get these few," he commanded once the other was on his feet, pointing to a few that had scampered off to the back of the hall.

"As you wish," Jordan responded, trotting off after the small cubes. He caught up to them easily and with a few swings he had rid of each. They had dropped a few magma creams, but he let them stay on the ground, as he had no need for them. They wouldn't need fire resistance potions to fight the Wither.

"We weren't lucky with Jim Bob," Tom stated with a sigh as Jordan started to come towards him from the other side of the hall. He watched as the other nodded in agreement, as they hadn't had luck with any of Jim Bob's predecessors, either. "Perhaps one of his closer relatives will be nicer," he added since one would eventually give up a skull for them to have.

"They better," Jordan replied, looking out into the corridor that they had come from as he reached Tom. He saw movement further down; a dark limb taking cover behind a wall as he peered in. With a tap on Tom's shoulder, he headed into the hall with a jog, turning down to the path that he had seen the creature dash to. He paused at the entrance, grinning as a wither skeleton stared back at him. "Finally, Tom, I found one!" he called over his shoulder as he approached the mob.

"This is Jim Bob's dad!" Tom affirmed, watching as Jordan attacked the skeleton. The other killed the mob quickly, bending down to pick up what it had left for them. "Anything?" he asked.

"Yeah, he gave us some really great weapons that will be totally helpful against the Wither, man," Jordan replied, sarcasm dripping off of his tongue as he picked up the sword that it had so generously left behind. "Stone swords for the win,"

"Oh yeah, we're totally good," Tom said, lacing his tone with false excitement. He glanced back into the main hall, spotting a few of the skeletons at the top of their designated sentry tower. "Well there are a good lot of them up there," he pointed out, making his way across the bridge as Jordan followed. He stood adjacent to the lava fall as he waited for Jordan to take care of the mobs, feeling the warmth of the molten rock emanate from beside him. "We're finding quite a few now,"

"Thankfully, and who would these skeletons be in relation to our good friend Jim Bob?" Jordan asked as he ascended up the stairs, two of the skeletons coming down to try and undertake him. He retreated down a few steps and let them come to him, cautiously swiping at them with his sword as they drew nearer.

"His twin brothers," Tom stated, as it seemed suiting since those particular two were together as they tried to get at Jordan. He took a few steps forward, as he had lost sight of the other skeleton from the top. He leaned over the side of the rail, looking to see if he could locate it if it had fallen off of the roof. "Where's the third? The, uh, Stepmom?"

"His parents are divorced?" Jordan inquired, climbing up the stairs once again as to check up top. Jim Bob's apparent Stepmom had disappeared from the roof as it seemed. "I can't find her, can you see her down there?"

Tom looked over to the other side, and a black figure could be seen jumping up and down perpetually, as if it were trying to grab his attention. "Yeah, she's down to the right. And you know, not all marriages work out in the Nether," he said, thinking back to the emo skeleton that he had imagined earlier. Perhaps that figment of his imagination had been the effect of a broken skeleton family, or maybe it was Jim Bob's unstable sister. He didn't know or care, as his interests did not lie within wither skeleton family trees.

"Good god," Jordan muttered, going down the stairs in order to seek out this stepmom, finding her along the side of the bridge. "Come here, Mrs. Skeleton Bob," he said, easing himself over the ledge in order to reach her. He landed onto the Netherrack soundly, facing the skeleton as it spun around in a circle, the mob advancing fluidly.

"Yeah, you nasty bitch!" Tom yelled, resting his arms on the ledge that the older gamer had mounted over as he watched him fight the stepmom. Jordan attacked with strong strikes, each hindering the skeleton's ability to try and push towards him. As Jordan was eloquent with his speech, he was nimble and adept with his sword. Perhaps not quite to the level of expertise that Tom held himself to, but still exemplary.

"Tom!" Jordan scolded as he killed the skeleton, a stone clashing as it fell by his feet. "You hurt her feelings and she didn't give us a skull," Jordan reprimanded, even though he was sure that Tom's taunts had nothing to do with what the skeleton dropped once it had been done away with. Or at least that was what he had reasoned, as he had no way of telling if their words affected mobs in anyway. It would be interesting if they did, but considering the fact that half didn't have a fraction of their limbs or inner workings lead him believe otherwise.

"Oh. Shit, sorry Jim Bob's stepmom," Tom said, apologizing even though the mob was already dead. It couldn't hurt to, though, as he wasn't going to face any repercussions either way. Unless, of course, family members of hers found it to disrespectful. Yet again, there would be no evidence that they so much as cared, but he would play along anyway.

"So rude," Jordan commented, hauling himself up the side of the ledge to get back up onto the bridge. He sat himself down on the rail, facing Tom as he set his sword down in front of him. "This is tedious,"

"I know, right? I wish it wasn't so hard," Tom replied, heaving himself up to sit beside Jordan as they took a small break. He thought back to the fantasy that Jordan had shared earlier about the skeletons decapitating themselves, and that lead him to wonder why they couldn't simply cut off the heads and take them. It would be a lot easier. "We should just chop off the head of the next one we see and run," he proposed, flicking at Jordan's glistening blade in front of him.

"I don't think it works that way," Jordan replied, trying to imagine the two of them tugging at a wither skeleton's neck. Not only would they be very unsuccessful, but they would most likely get withered to the point that they would actually die from it. Not good either way.

"It should; It would make our lives a hell of a lot easier," Tom said, leaning forward to let his head drop into his hands that were propped up by his elbows. "And we have three to get," he added. At the rate that they were, it may as well take them a whole other week to collect all of the skulls. He liked staying on the island, but a week spent crammed down here in the Nether was not as appealing.

"True," Jordan muttered, also contemplating the length of time that this activity would consume, and the amount was not in any way tempting. Although the prolonged stay meant prolonged time with the other, but he was sure that neither of them were too anxious to have to complete this task, whether if they were together or not. He would gladly stick by Tom and scour for Skulls, but it was not his ideal adventure. But perhaps there was someone who could help hurry them along so that they could carry on with their next. "Do you think Dec will get us the other two skulls if we manage to find one?" he asked, watching Tom's eyes lit up as he did.

"I think he fucking will! I mean, do you know what tomorrow is?" Tom questioned, as the date had aligned perfectly with their need for a favor. Dec may have decided to give them the skulls on pure kind behalf, but this opportunity was, well, opportune.

"Wait, what?" Jordan asked, as he hadn't exactly been good with keeping up with the date. It was a bit hard when there were no luxuries such as calendars that could make it simple, so counting the days would have to be resorted to. Although it was a little late for that.

"Today is Christmas Eve, and tomorrow is Christmas Day!" Tom exclaimed, tossing his hands about in the air as he explained this to Jordan. While the older gamer hadn't, he had actually kept track of the passing days, and if he was correct, then it was in fact the twenty-fourth, the day before Christmas. "Dec can be our own Santa Claus. You reckon that he'll want a chimney or no? Or perhaps some cookies?"

Jordan laughed as Tom rambled on about Dec being Santa, finding it amusing that Tom was getting all excited over the holiday. He had forgotten about Christmas for the past while, as he had been too busied with other things to recall that it was getting close. He had known that it had to have been getting to late December, yet it had slipped his mind completely. "We can put some cookies in the chest for him, not that he'll be able to eat them, but they'll be there," he said with a smile.

"Dude, this is going to be great," Tom said, filled to the brim with giddiness. He knew that it was stupid for him to get all worked up over the holiday; he was an adult, and it shouldn't matter to him anymore, but he couldn't help it. The memories from when he was a kid enticed this excitement, and he let it out in the form of "Christmas cheer".

"Perhaps. I've always been a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to the holidays," Jordan relented with a sigh. He was a bit ashamed to admit such a thing, but he was not going to lie about his lack of enthusiasm.

"What? Jordan!" Tom gasped, feigning offense. He partially figured that Jordan would be this way, as it seemed to fit. He didn't quite know how, but it felt like a trait that Jordan would have. Maybe it was in his independent and responsible demeanor. Either way, it would not be tolerated. Not this year. "Well I'm going to shove my Christmas cheer down your throat, so you better fucking like it," Tom threatened, wagging a finger in the older gamer's face.

"Not going to help your case any, but okay," Jordan replied, slipping down off of the railing as he picked up his sword. "We can figure the rest out when we get home, but let's get this skull first," he said, waving for Tom to get up as well.

"Alright, alright," Tom said, disturbing his sitting position so that he could accompany Jordan on the bridge. He stood by the other's side as they walked through the hall, depositing into the one that they had found the original Jim Bob in. To their luck, their intermission had allowed for one to spawn, as it lurked in the shadows towards the end with a blazeman. "I got him," he said, gesturing to the blazeman that had focused its attention on Jordan, who now slowly approached both mobs.

"Okay, just make sure that you don't hit Jim Bob's cousin," Jordan replied as he went in for the skeleton, as it now trailed after him while he tried to retreat back.

"Can do," Tom said, pulling out his bow in order to take out his assigned mob from a distance. It would be the most efficient way, as he wouldn't intrude on Jordan's fight or attract the skeleton away from him. He was able to successfully land the first and second shots, but as he fired the third, it collided with a different body. "Jordan!" Tom yelled, mouth agape as he realized that he had sunk an arrow into the older gamer's plating.

"Tom!" Jordan exclaimed as he felt a sharp point penetrate his armor as well as skin by his shoulder. He gave the skeleton one last blow, disintegrating it into dust and coal. He heard a final arrow whiz past his head, killing the blazeman instantly. "Damn," he muttered, feeling an uncommon and troubling warmth lick his disrupted skin.

"Fucking hell, Jordan! You alright?" Tom asked as he slung his bow back onto his shoulder, jogging over to meet the one that he had injured. He felt guilt spread through him as he watched Jordan pull his chest plate over his head, revealing a slight reddening in the cloth of his dark blazer. It was a small patch, and as Jordan moved the garment to inspect the wound, they were able to see that it was a small graze, and nothing to be too concerned with. "Oh, you'll be fine,"

"Yeah, but you shot me!" Jordan replied, a nervous laugh filling his throat. Sure it had been a small wound, but if Tom had slipped a bit further over, than he was pretty sure that he wouldn't be standing there right now.

"You moved into my range. It was an accident!" Tom pleaded, watching as Jordan put his chest plate back on. Once on, he placed a steady hand on his shoulder and tugged the arrow out of the armor, discarding it onto the floor behind him. "I'm sorry, Jardon," he said, batting his eyelashes as he had earlier.

Jordan rolled his eyes as Tom gave him puppy eyes, pushing past him as he went out into the main hall. "We have that skull to get, idiot," he called over his shoulder, waiting for the younger gamer to catch up with him.

"Jardon, I don't like it when you call me mean names like that," Tom said, giving a small pout. "It makes me feel like you don't appreciate me as a teammate,"

"Oh my god, not this again," Jordan said with a groan, laughing as he thought back to their previous banter sessions about this particular subject. "And you kind of deserve it, because you sorta just shot me,"

"Oh, give me a break! You're fine!" Tom whined, playfully shoving Jordan to the side.

"How guilty would you have felt if I had died?" Jordan asked, as he was curious to see what Tom's response would be. Would his reaction remain unchanged after the most recent events, or would it differ? Either way, would it even matter? Most likely not as these little details were trivial, but he still wished to see.

"Very," Tom said honestly, but he knew he couldn't leave it at that. No, his malicious ways of teasing had to have their way. "At first, but then I would get over it. Hashtag Yolo!" Tom finished, bringing up peace signs to wave about in the other's face.

"Whatever," Jordan said, rolling his eyes as Tom jumped about around him, spouting off random slurs of _420 Swag Yolo Bitch_'s. The reply had varied slightly from both versions of what he had in mind, but as he had concluded, it mattered not. Whether if there was evidence of a changing mood between them had no persuasion or impact on Jordan. He knew that things would inevitably evolve, but that did not include every aspect of them. It was too early in the process for any of it to be seen as significant either way. Although lots of events and emotions had been created and formed, the effects had not all settled. Time would need to be taken.

Tom looked back over at Jordan as he ended his parade of modern slang, grinning as he saw Jordan let a small smile creep up in the corner of his mouth. "I would actually feel really bad, because you're my homie; My 'OTP'," he said, referencing the term that Jordan had taught him the other day.

"Do you even remember what that stands for?" Jordan asked, raising an eyebrow. It was likely that Tom had forgotten the meaning already, and he was sure that this was the case.

"'Ordinary Toilet Paper'," Tom said straight-faced. He watched as Jordan shot him a glance of disapproval, deciding to give the other the real answer. "No, it's actually 'One True Pairing', yeah?" He inquired, breaking his neutral façade to let out a chuckle.

"Good job," Jordan said, commending the fact that Tom had disproved his expectations. "My OTP or something," he added with a coy smile.

"Yeah, we got our 'bromance' thing going on," Tom stated, as he believed that to be the word to describe it. It didn't quite fit right, but he figured that it was close enough. Then again, that was the big question that they were faced with as of now. _What are we?_

"Is that what it is?" Jordan asked, as he felt as though it was a fair label, yet he also felt a bit indifferent to it. It was like an awkward pair of jeans; once on they feel as though they fit in all the right places, yet as you begin to move, you realize that this is not the case.

"I think so," Tom said, as he would leave it as a placeholder until he was able to decide one the correct phrase. But for now, it was certainly alright. "I like you, Jordan," he affirmed, glancing over at the other with a partial grin. The words felt foreign on his tongue, as he believed them to have a new meaning as he said them now. Previously they were a simple statement; an acknowledgement of their comradery. But it was not simply such a statement, as the meaning now traveled further than the early shallow conception.

"I would figure, considering that you've made out with me a couple times now," Jordan replied teasingly, pointing out that this fact had been made obvious to him. Tom initially said that he had enjoyed the kiss, but that implied that he enjoyed Jordan in that particular way, as well. It didn't take a rocket scientist to make the connection between the two.

"To be fair, _you_ kissed _me_ once," Tom mentioned, as he wanted to remind Jordan that it wasn't all him. "And actually, that's a one to my two, and I think we may need to even that out," Tom added with a smirk, raising a suggestive brow. He bit his lip to retain his laughter, as he saw Jordan's cheeks fade to a red. His comment had successfully done what it had intended. " It's only fair,"

Shaking his head, Jordan chuckled at Tom's response. He didn't believe that this was any sort of game or fight that required them to equal their ranks, but he was willing to participate anyway. Yet he wouldn't surrender that easily. "You'll have to earn it," he clarified, as perhaps using himself as an incentive would entice the other to hurry their task up.

"Yeah? How?" Tom asked, his voice in a testy tone. He appreciated the way Jordan was leading him on like this, as it felt like something he would conduct himself. _I tally your fight, Sparklez._

"Find us that next Wither skeleton," Jordan said, as the assignment was uncomplicated and seemingly effortless given Tom's accomplishments with stumbling upon them.

"Easy. There's one right there," Tom said, pointing down the corridor to the doorway that lead to their entrance hall. He had been keeping an eye on it for a few minutes now in order to save it for when the majority of their conversation had drifted off, but he felt that now was a more suitable time to reveal his knowledge. "I expect that kiss when you get back, Sparklez," he said, giving Jordan a small push in the direction of the skeleton.

"You son of a bitch," Jordan said with a laugh, finding it ridiculous that Tom had already 'won'. With a sense of defeat, he walked over to the skeleton, calling out it's relation. "Jim Bob's step sister," he declared, raising his sword as he approached the skeleton. As usual, he attacked with a few stable strikes and the skeleton a reduced to dust. Yet this time, instead of getting common scraps of coal or bones, a black misshapen cube fell to the floor. "Tom!" Jordan yelled, quickly recovering the drop from the ground in order to display it in his hands.

"Did you get a skull?!" Tom called, as it appeared that the object in the other's hands was in fact the head of one of the skeletons. How fortunate it was that they had gotten the skull at last, and especially after their discussion. "Fuck yes!" He exclaimed as he began towards Jordan. "Let me see it,"

The bone was as black as the charcoal that the mob left behind, and it was as smooth as smelted stone as Jordan rubbed his forefinger along the jaw, handing it to Tom as he approached. "It's about time," he said, watching as Tom stuck his hand through it in order to puppeteer it. Due to shaping, they weren't able to wear the skull as they would have liked, but that was a small price to pay for being able to simply touch it at all.

"I know right," Tom said, raising the pitch of his voice as he moved the jaw of the skeleton to provide the effect that it was speaking instead of him. "We're just all bitches, aren't we?"

"Yeah, sure," Jordan replied, smiling at the skull as he seethed his relief through gritted teeth in the form of an exhale. "I'm just glad that we're done here," he admitted, looking away from the prize to the lava fall, then all around again. Since they had acquired their one skull, and as long as Dec was a capable Santa, they would most likely be having their final visit to the Nether.

"Oh, shit, yeah. We won't need to come back now that we've got Jim Bob's Stepsister's head," he said, tripping over the words as he tried to formulate them. "But hopefully we'll make it out," he added, as he was fairly certain that the pigmen were still after them. They would surely be problematic on their way back to the portal, as they had no defenses against the zombie swine but for their swords.

"Maybe they've forgotten about it," Jordan proposed, gesturing for Tom to follow him out to the entrance. They exited through the gateway that the stepsister had been slain in, travelling through the hall and up the stairs as they made their way to the path that Tom had sealed off. There Jordan could see a stretch of pigmen lined out in front of them, huffing and snorting as they came into view. "Or maybe not,"

"Fuck," Tom muttered, gazing out to see the many pigmen. There were a good lot stationed outside, all waiting for them to go out and leave. He took out his sword, stabbing at the ones nearest the entrance. "Let's try and get these few so that when we go out we can at least have less on our asses," he said, disintegrating one zombie after the other.

Jordan nodded in compliance, taking his leave on the pigmen as well. They had soon rid of all them, yet as they had finished more trotted up and took the previous' places. "Are you kidding me?" Jordan expressed, annoyed that this was becoming hard to manage. "After these, we're just going to run,"

"Yeah, let's just do it," Tom said, as he was itching to get out of the Nether. The humid air was growing heavy in his lungs the longer he breathed it in and the ash that floated about the atmosphere got grit stuck in his nooks and crannies; his fingernails, the cuffs of his armor, all chafing his skin. On top of the vexations, he had gotten well worn out physically, and his emotions had gotten their exercised quite a bit today, as well. He had a strong desire to go home, to put it mildly.

"Should we God-apple? Just in case?" Jordan asked, slicing through the remaining Pigmen. He could only imagine a scenario in which they got surrounded by the menacing swine, unable to escape them. It would not only be an embarrassing feat, but a truly detrimental one, as no one would be left to complete the island and they were so utterly close.

"Definitely," Tom replied, reaching into his bag to pull out the golden apple. It was small yet weighed heavily in his palm, a yellow glow reflecting off from its surface. He looked up and found that Jordan had cleared away the rest of the pigmen and now held his god-apple. "Break that block, sir,"

"Alright," Jordan muttered, taking his pickaxe to quickly dispose of the barrier. Tucking the tool back where it belonged, he turned to Tom and offered a light smile. "Let's do this,"

"Go,"

* * *

Tom stumbled out of the portal, Jordan following close behind. He let himself be thrown into the sand, spreading his limbs out as he attempted to catch his breath. He and the other had sprinted the whole way, pigmen chasing them as they fled across the red terrain. "I never knew that sand would feel so nice," he relented, as the cool grains felt heavenly as they sunk in around him.

"I'm sure," Jordan replied, standing up as he slowed his panting. A sliver of the moon had risen into the sky and he had realized that he had spent the whole day in the hellish dimension. In theory, it sounded vigorous and loathsome, as it had been, yet he felt content as he stood under the stars. The task of retrieving a single skull had been physically grueling, and due to other complications, emotionally daunting. Yet everything had worked out in the end, as he was able to enjoy the rest of the time he had peacefully.

Tom sat up from the sand, his skin having cooled to a comfortable temperature and his breathing regulated. "We should write that letter to Santa," he said with a smile, looking from Jordan to their Christmas tree across the way.

"Do you want to make the cookies and get the milk while I write it?" Jordan suggested, as he had no desire to go and milk the cows or bake. Composing a silly little letter, though, he could manage. "I found some cocoa beans in a dungeon a while back, so those will be in a chest somewhere,"

Tom nodded as he stood up, brushing off sand that clung to him. "Yeah, sounds good," he said, starting to cross the bridge as Jordan followed behind. "He better fucking do this or else I swear I'm just going to kill myself and leave you here," he claimed, tossing his arms up into the air.

"Would you?" Jordan asked, as he was sure that if it came to it Tom would most likely commit suicide rather than doing work that he would prefer not to do. He used it as a tactic often enough in Mianite, or he would resort to simply killing all that refused him. Yet he couldn't do that here, so he would have to kill himself in order to avoid the tasks. The thought, though, was troubling to Jordan, as he did not want the other to desert him here alone. "You'd abandon me _again_?"

Tom made his way off of the bridge and onto the land, approaching their house. It felt like weeks since he had been there last, but it had only been since the morning. "If I have to, then fuck yeah," he said with a laugh, looking over his shoulder as he entered into their home to see Jordan shoot him a displeased glance. "I'd miss you though, if that counts," he added sweetly.

"Nope; I'm mad at you," Jordan replied, heading over to a chest to pull out a book and quill. "I thought we discussed that you leaving me behind was not a good thing,"

"Oh alright, Jardon. I'll stay just for you," Tom said, finding the cocoa beans as well as two buckets. He wasn't going to settle for such an extreme type of protest, as he wanted to stay and complete the island alongside Jordan, but it was fun to play with the other like this. He may not be the happiest if the had to collect more skulls, but he could very well get over it. "But you'll be the one hunting for those damn skeletons," he finished, making his way over to the door.

"I don't think so," Jordan scoffed, yet he then realized that it would have been him getting the skulls regardless of Tom's presence or absence. His possession of the sword had sealed that deal. "Whatever. I'm sure he'll give us the skulls, anyway,"

"I know, I know," Tom affirmed, waving at Jordan in dismissal. If Dec didn't do this favor for them, though, he was then guaranteed a very nasty email. "Anyway, I'm going to extract some milky goodness. I'll be back in a minute," he said, slinking out of the door and into the night to venture out to the pens. Squeals and grunts emanated from the many skittish animal as he approached them, hopping over the fence to place himself with the cows. "Come here," he enticed, patting the back of the steer as he dropped to his knees. The cow obeyed and stayed in place, letting Tom milk it. He gradually filled the first bucket up, sliding the second one under once he had loaded the other. As he finished the second one to about half the way up, he heaved both pails over the fence without sloshing their contents about, sending himself over next. He picked them back up and padded off to the house, carrying them carefully. "Don't you dare fucking spill," he muttered, as he knew how finicky the crafting table could be if he didn't have an adequate amount. He stepped back into the house, setting both buckets down onto the floor as he rubbed his palms, the handles having left marks in his skin.

"Welcome back," Jordan greeted, shutting the book so that he could scribble a simple title on the cover. The younger gamer's absence had given him enough time to write the letter to ersatz Santa, fitting in their demands as well as a few holiday good-wishes from Tom and himself. "This is all set," he said, waving _Dear Santa Dec…_ up for Tom to see.

"Read it to me. I want to approve of this masterpiece that you've constructed," Tom demanded as he placed the fuller bucket onto the crafting table, moving over to the chests to get the wheat that he needed.

"Yeah, but why do you have two milk buckets? Cookies only require wheat and cocoa beans," Jordan pointed out, noticing that Tom had most likely forgotten the recipe for the desserts.

"Fuck me," Tom expressed, bringing his hand up to rub his face. Although a small amount, he had wasted effort retrieving the milk. It wasn't big of an error in the slightest, but the day's activities had him tired and unwilling to do more than he was required. "That doesn't even make sense! Cookies need milk!" he complained, grabbing the bucket off of the table to toss out the door.

"Not in Minecraft," Jordan said calmly, smirking as he heard Tom groan in agitation. The other had a history of not being able to recall certain recipes, and it amused Jordan to watch Tom deal with his frustration as he was faced with this yet again. "Anyway, I'm gonna read this now," he said, clearing his throat as he prepared his reading voice. _"Dear Santa-Dec, Tom and I would like to request two wither skeleton skulls in order to speed things up here on the island. We're tired of spending countless hours in the Nether, and it would be great if you could hook us up. That would be pretty neato. Also, It's sort of Christmas tomorrow, and we would like to have these as our gifts. Do it for the kids. Sincerely, Jordan and Tom. P.S., Merry Christmas and stuffs."_ He finished, shutting the book. "Good?"

"Yeah, I'll just make these cookies. Can you bottle up a few things of Milk?" Tom asked, turning to the crafting table with the proper ingredients. He set the beans in between the bushels of wheat, making several batches of the chocolate chip cookies. Stacking up most of them into one of his hands, he separated two off to the side, looking over to Jordan who had the milk jugs ready. "I left two out for us if you want to grab 'em," he suggested, taking a bottle from Jordan.

"Sure," Jordan replied, balancing the two other bottles in his hand as he reached around the other to pick up the cookies. He placed them down onto the book, using it as a tray since he was unable to fit everything into his hands. "Let's go," he said, heading out the door as Tom followed. He reached the tree and dumped one of the glasses into the chest along with the book, making sure to grab the cookies before he did.

Tom set the desserts into the chest next to the letter, shutting the lid as he stood back up. "Cookie?" he prompted, letting Jordan set the treat in his hand. Somehow the crafting table had instilled the warmth that usually came with the natural process of baking, making his hand tingle. He switched it over into the hand that also held the container of milk, smushing it slightly. "I think that there's something else that you need to give me," he added with a grin.

"What would that be?" Jordan asked, retracting the cookie that he was about to bite into. As far as he knew, he had not obtained anything of the other's, so what could he have owed him?

"Well we made a deal earlier, and if I remember correctly, you still have yet to hold your end," Tom said, raising an eyebrow at the older gamer. It wasn't that difficult of a thing to remember, but he supposed that the excitement from getting the skull could have pushed it back further into Jordan's mind.

"Oh, I guess I didn't, did I?" Jordan expressed, smiling as the memory of this deal resurfaced. It was frivolous, but if Tom expected him to follow through, then he would. He set his cookie and bottle down onto the top of the chest, facing Tom as he rose back up. He shook his head and laughed, already feeling the impending vertigo as he simply looked upon the other. With one last chuckle, he wrapped his arms around Tom's neck so that he could reach the other and kissed him, slowly as to savor it.

Tom used his free arm to pull Jordan in closer, keeping him there even after they parted. "Merry Christmas Eve, Jordan," he said with a well appeased smile, raising his bottle of milk for a cheers. Jordan bent over and picked his cookie and glass up, tapping the bottles together with a _clink._

"Merry Christmas Eve, Tom,"

* * *

**A/N: Again, I'm sorry that it took me forever to update. As I've said before, stuff happens, and as much as I hate it, sometimes writing gets pushed off. But it's here, so yeah. Lots of stuff occurred, and I hope you guys found it to be enjoyable. I'm sure the wait for all of this has been tedious, but hey! Look at that! Actual SyndiSparklez! And I realize that episode 30 aired the 23****rd****, but I could care less. Plot, goddamnit! So yeah, I honestly hope that you guys liked this chapter, and there's only two left as of this one going up. And as always, feedback is always appreciated. Yer Boi ****:)**


	8. Chapter Eight: Day 31

**A/N: Wooooooow it's been a while. Stuff happens, and by stuff I mean exams came and went D: Sorry about that. But just think; after this chapter there's only one more! After that we should be good to go. I just have to get these to out and then updates for the other story will probably come quicker. **

**Also, at one point in the future I'll probably do a Motanite oneshot. I was thinking of doing it sooner due to the hype that's pretty evident now that we're getting to see some of the background stuff unfold, but it's too early and I feel that there isn't enough to work with yet. But just know that it'll come one day.**

**But anyway, here's the chapter for the second-to-last episode :)**

* * *

Tom flipped onto his side in the bed, an eye drifting open as he did. In front of him lay Jordan; all snuggled up in the linens as to keep the cool early-morning chills from breeching to his skin. He could see the fabric of the pillow ripple slightly as the other exhaled, as well as the imprints of the cloth on his skin from when it had been rumpled under his sleeping form. Jordan was encompassed in a peaceful and complacent state of slumber.

These little details that Tom took time to observe in his own bleary condition brought the warm feeling that he was gradually accommodating to flowed into his cheeks and swelled throughout his fingers; a numbly elementary embarrassment fueling a small smile. In front of him lay one of the most confounding mysteries that he had ever had the chance to endure, albeit this mystery was one that he found himself oddly fond of. He supposed that this was why it was a mystery.

After all, everything happened so quickly with his emotions and attractions that he didn't have any time to analyze and make sense of it all. It just blurred into something confusing and heavy, yet when Jordan kissed him it was as though he had wiped away whatever weight and fog had clouded him. It didn't make a fraction of sense to him, really, as he found it all to be extremely odd.

What exactly was it about Jordan that appealed to him so? What made him have these rampant and convulsing feelings towards the other? He could manifest the simple and distinct features that the older game, like his cute actions that he made when flustered or happy, the way he had a skill with most things that he commanded, the times when he lacked that skill and completely screwed something up yet still managed to own it; many more little things. Now that he took the time to sit and dwell on the attributes of his friend, he realized that they flooded in easily. The sheer amount of things that came from the other gamer emanated a happiness in him, and although he didn't grasp why it was there, he was fine with it.

Jordan made him happy, and that was all that he needed to process.

Although adjusting would be the difficile part. Sure they were contented in this little world that they occupied together, but how would things change? In here or out, the relationship between them was bound and twisted, and perhaps it would never bend back into its normal shape. But then again, did he want it to? As he already established, he really did like Jordan, but would it last? Nothing like this had ever happened to him let alone feel so incredibly genuine. Yet they were in a fantasy world, and all that they felt and saw around them was just a code imprinted in the files of a computer. Thus, Jordan was the only thing that was in fact genuine.

So that brought about the question: were his feelings real, or were they just fabricated like his surroundings? It was possible, he supposed, that these emotions just manifested since Jordan was the only other person that he had with him. The other gamer was the only person he had seen or touched or existed with for a week now, and perhaps he was getting attached to him because of this. So would it be different when they got back to Mianite and the others were about? Would he feel the same way when he could thrive in the company of others and not just Sparklez's?

As this surfaced in his mind, Tom looked away from Jordan and to the fabric of his own pillow, noticing a patch of wetness from his nightly drooling sessions. It was a bit embarrassing that it was there as drooling was a bit unkempt, but he couldn't control his bodily functions once asleep like that. Disregarding the patch, he brought his eyes back up to the sleeping gamer across from him, stretching out his hand slightly to place further out on his pillow to almost touch Jordan's. He let it sit there, crumpling the cloth underneath as to press it down. With this, Jordan nuzzled deeper into his pillow and made a grumbling noise.

Tom smiled and retracted his hand, the warm feeling returning. He supposed that it was a bit odd that he was watching the other sleep like this, but it helped him think. It was easier to make your mind up about something while experiencing it, and now he was bathing in the presence of the bewildering spectacle that he found himself helplessly drawn to now. That was a known fact. Yet as he looked upon the other undisturbed, he was soon beginning to come to the conclusion that his contemplations about the temporary feelings may not actually be completely right.

Perhaps it was; he didn't know. But as he lay awake and observed the older gamer, he was piecing together the puzzle that was his raging mind. The day prior he had jumped right into his affections without a second thought or hesitation; fitting right into the situation snuggly as though it had been what made the most sense to him. And with this time he was given to reflect on that, he saw no issue with the majority of it. Sure it had been a bit fast and sloppy, but that was his pace with simply everything. Tom wasn't one to sit on things and think them through, but one to act on what he believed to be the rightful decision. This is what he did yesterday, and he saw nothing wrong with doing what he thought to have been the thing to make himself happy.

Deciding that there was no reason for him to attempt to fall back asleep for another hour or so since he had been up for a good while in contemplation, he flipped himself onto his stomach and sat up. He leaned over the still gamer and placed his hands on his shoulders, lightly shaking Jordan awake. "Hey, Jardan! Wake up, buddy!" He pleaded quietly but forcefully, smirking as Jordan groaned in response.

Jordan shrank away from the obtrusive touch of the annoying younger gamer that was trying to stir him, finding it too early to assume any activities other than to continue resting like he had so peacefully been. Of course, though, Tom never really included "peaceful" in the way he did things. "What?" he slurred, his tired mind slowly grinding to a functional state as his senses awoke with the vigorous shakes that the other provided.

Tom looked away from Jordan to glance out the door, taking notice to the fact that whitish flakes drifted just outside of their threshold. At this he smiled and turned back to Jordan. "I think Santa-Dec paid us a visit," he prompted, tugging the sheets away to let the older gamer's skin bare the frosty air as it drifted in. Now that he considered about it, it was substantially more cold than it had been when they had gotten into bed the night previous. Perhaps Santa-Dec had applied his mystical winter powers when he had come. Tom chuckled at the thought.

"Huh?" Jordan groaned as he groped around to try and locate the linens that had been revoked in order to get them back, as it was quite cold in their house. He failed at this task, and in defeat he propped himself up onto one elbow to blearily stare up at Tom. "What d'ya mean?" he asked drowsily.

"Take a look for yourself," Tom replied, leaning over to sit back on his side of the bed to allow Jordan to get a good view of the outside, the brightly gleaming sheets of snow well visible past their doorway. "Merry Christmas," he added as he saw the other's eyes light up in awe, giving him a slight shove on the shoulder.

"I forgot," Jordan relented, perking up a bit as he looked out onto the snowy landscape outside. He sat up completely in the bed in order to accommodate, rubbing the fatigue out of his eyes as he did. He let his hands fall into his lap but they were soon picked up again as Tom grabbed them and threw himself out of the bed, pulling Jordan with him. "Calm down!" He commanded as the younger gamer giddily tried to tug him out of the confines of the linens.

"I refuse!" Tom expressed, smiling as Jordan relented and got out of the bed to join him. "It's Christmas, Jordan, and I intend to collect my gifts," he said, keeping hold of the other's wrist as he dashed through the door.

"The skulls? Do you think he gave them to us after all?" Jordan inquired as he stepped out onto the frosty gravel laden ground, wincing as his bare skin made contact with the cold rocks. Although it was clear that Dec had done something to their little island, it didn't mean that he was providing them with some of the rarest items to collect in the entire game. Instead, perhaps, he gave them a few miscellaneous items that were completely unnecessary and a note reading something like _better luck next time_!

Tom jogged over to the chest as he released Jordan, eager to peep inside the container under the tree. It was not the familiar wooden chest that they were used to, but a red and green striped one from the previous versions of the game. "It's a present," he commented with a laugh, tipping the lid up as he kicked away snow.

Jordan tip-toed around Tom as he tried to clear away some of the snow in order to create a patch that he could stand on without his toes getting frostbitten. A few snowballs formed as they were clumped together and pushed off to the side, and Jordan bit his lip as he considered utilizing them. Perhaps later. "Are they in there?" He asked, disregarding the frosty orbs to direct his attention back to the gamer in front of him.

"Fuck yes!" Tom yelled, pulling out the two skulls from the festive chest. He tossed them to Jordan, who juggle them inconstantly as he struggled to grasp them securely. He stuck his hand back in to feel around for anything else, finding a scrap of paper at the bottom. "And then he left a note," he commented as he pulled it out, smoothing a few creases. "_Merry Christmas, hopefully we'll be able to see you guys soon now that you've got these. Dec_." he said, reading off the priest's sloppy scrawl.

"Oh sweet," Jordan replied, placing the skulls on the ground next to them. Tom stood up and threw the note back in the chest, but as younger gamer turned around Jordan had equipped himself with the snowballs that he had ignored for the past few minuscule moments. Scooping it up he launched it right at the other while he was unaware and vulnerable, and this act earned a surprised squeal from his victim.

"Jordan!" Tom yelled, playfully yet slightly exasperated as he was now covered in a wet chill from the unanticipated attack. He made a few sounds of disbelief and anger as he dove his hands down into the white veils and molded it into ammunition, ready to fire back. "Why you…!" He trailed off, throwing a newly made ball at his aggressor.

Having been prepared to retaliate, Jordan threw a snowball back at Tom, reaching down at the ground to reload his arm. He braced the few that the younger threw at him sporadically, laughing the small pelts off as he threw some of his own. It was turning into a vicious battle as both of them did not relent or relinquish their strikes against each other, the two of them taking the icy impacts against their skin and light clothing. "You'll never take me alive!" Jordan yelled as he took cover behind the mannequin.

"Fight me like a man, you coward!" Tom shouted back, noting that the other had retreated to the protection offered by the poorly constructed figure. He threw one last makeshift ball then dashed behind the tree, creeping up on the older gamer from the side. "Gotcha!" He said, grabbing Jordan from behind as the other moved to peak around the pumpkin. He wrapped his arms around the flailing gamer's torso, laughing into the crook of his neck as Jordan yelled defeated pleas.

"Tom! No fair!" Jordan said, trying to escape the younger gamer's strong hold. Although as he struggled, he found that his footing had been wrongly placed on a slick patch of ice. He yelped as he slid, his weight shifting forward along with Tom's as well. Soon the two of them were sprawled in the snow, groaning and frosty.

"Way to go, Jardan," Tom said unhappily, though taking the opportunity to grab fistfuls of snow and smother Jordan with it, tossing clumps in his face and up his shirt. He chuckled as the older gamer gasped as he was forced to succumb to the icy licks of the substance pressed on his skin. "Take that!"

"Tom..!" Jordan said shakily, his voice trembling as the cold snow began to melt against his chilled skin. It was fiery and crisp in contrast to the bleak air around them;he having gotten used to it as it nipped at his skin. He could not say the same about the snow, which seemed to burn through his skin, as it was colder than all around him, and why he was especially aware of Tom's warm hands that rested on his back.

"I think it's safe to say that I've won," Tom said with a smirk, letting Jordan flip over to so that he no longer rested on his stomach. "You shouldn't start fights that you can't win," he added testily, poking the older gamer in the stomach.

"Whatever," Jordan muttered in defeat, struggling to get the remnants of the snow out of his clothes, although it was a bit hard considering that he laid in it as Tom still kept him pinned to the ground that was abundantly covered in all of it. Yet despite this, he stayed among the frosty ground instead of tossing the younger gamer off of him and surveyed his surroundings. Against his original belief, he noticed that the only area that was actually snowy was the range around the tree and the small distance to their door, expanding out further by a few yards to make a thick white path to and from the chest. As it appeared, that was all their Winter Wonderland was. Though, he supposed, this was all they really needed. After all, it was not entirely necessary for the whole island to be encompassed in festive apparel, as if anything that would be just counterintuitive and a burden. He would be content with what they had, even though it felt as though half of the existing snow was pressed up uncomfortably to his skin.

Tom watched as Jordan looked shyly away, his cheeks flourishing a light pink as he was teased. He openly recognized this as adorable, and he did not admonish himself for doing so. As he had earlier dwelled on, this was not something to feel discouraged about; his feelings were his and he would exercise them as he saw fit. With that, Jordan looked from the coastline and back up to him, a mirthful glint in his eyes. Again, Tom found himself stuck with that little heart flutter and dumb smile, completely aghast with the utter complacency he felt. This then led to a surge of bold confidence that he used to muster up the courage to raise a hand to place on Jordan's cheek, lowering his head to meet the other's lips.

Jordan laughed as Tom came in and kissed him, finding it humorous that the younger gamer used his positioning to take advantage of the situation. Not that he was complaining, though. Like Tom had reasoned earlier, he also believed their progress to be alarmingly advancing, but this was something he did not think to be unfavorable. He had mostly thought about it the previous night after he had gone to bed, contrary to Tom who spent the morning exploring the thought of the playful Syndisparklez becoming a reality. Much like younger gamer did, he delved into deep analytics and found that he was rather congruent with the idea. He liked Tom, and he liked that it was happening. Hell, he liked that he was kissing him, and that seemed to be a telling sign.

"What are you laughing about, huh?" Tom asked smugly, pulling away. A little nip of self consciousness burrowed into the back of his neck, creating an itch that he raised an arm to relieve. It wasn't that he thought that Jordan was making fun of him, but a little unease still crept about in his mind, and the object that controlled that unease laughing in his face while he did something a little uncertain certainly didn't help to extinguish said unease.

"Just, I don't know," Jordan began, trying to think of how he wanted to form his thought. It was easy enough for him to understand himself, but translating it into a tongue that Tom could also discern was a bit more difficult. "Us, I guess," he said, finding that it was easier to simplify the thought into a small word. Yet that word itself wasn't so small anymore, now that he considered it. It had been warped and expanded into this new form that was, well, hard to define.

"I get it," Tom said, taking his turn at the nervous laugh. It made sense to him in a way, as all of this was confusing yet in a funny way. Somehow. The "how it works" part is still but a mystery to him as well as the other gamer. "I mean, who knew?" He asked rhetorically, rolling off of Jordan and onto the slick snow underneath. " I certainly didn't. I mean, I knew you were flamboyant and all, but I didn't think it went this far," he added with a sneer, poking the other in the rib.

"Oh, shut up," Jordan said with a laugh, slapping a hand over his eyes. As usual, Tom berated him playfully. This was to be expected though, and he felt no offense in these teases. If anything, it just opened up the opportunity to strike back. "To be completely fair, I didn't exactly peg you to have a weak spot for my illustrious charm," he purred, turning onto his side to get a better view at the other, propping his head up from a structured elbow. "Then again, who doesn't?"

"You cocky son of a bitch, you!" Tom said, chuckling as he gave Jordan a light punch in his arm. He watched as Jordan rolled onto his back, following in suit. His eyes drifted to the sky, clouds drifting overhead in unrecognizable clumps. The snow underneath of him was beginning to turn his skin a bit chilled; numbing it to the point that he could only feel the lumping form of the dirt that he laid on, if even that. Yet with this, the light hearted feeling of complacency returned, and he found himself smiling. Perhaps this is why Jordan had laughed; because he had felt the same feeling of content that resonated into ascribable happiness. Perhaps not, but that didn't really matter. "I like this," he muttered.

"Like what?" Jordan asked, pushing for a deeper answer. He was curious to see what exactly it was that drove Tom to comment that specifically. Not that it really mattered to him, he was simply curious.

"All of this," Tom answered, flicking his hand about to indicate the area around them. It was beautiful yet dangerous, but then calm and serious. The whole island and world had a balance to it that Tom admired, and this thought was now surfacing as he laid with Jordan. "Everything," he continued, "It's all so nice and simple. You know?"

"Yeah, I get it," Jordan replied, tucking his arms behind his head as he looked up at the clouds, turning to look at the sea to his left. He shared the considerations that Tom did; the appreciation for the serenity and excitement that the game had. Perhaps that was why he liked it so much, then. It was restful and slow, yet could easily be disturbed by threats that were containable in certain ways. Simply; it was paced. He could go quickly and scathingly run through all of the objectives, or he could take his time and do things with a slow expertise. It was seemingly perfect for him.

"Yeah," Tom said, closing his eyes as he let the feeling settle. He took a deep breath, making himself vulnerable to the inevitable slap of icy wetness in his face. "Fuck you, Jordan!" He yelled, bolting up into a sitting position as he scraped the snowball off of his face. "Come here!"

Jordan scrambled up onto his feet and dashed between the tree. "Hey, it was fair game! Don't start this up!" He called out, ducking as snowballs were hurled at him once again.

"It's a little late for that," Tom said, packing another handful of snow and readying it for launch. "We're at war, Sparklez!" He denounced, letting the ball whizz right passed Jordan's head.

"Well I give up; this is a war I cannot win," Jordan relented, pressing his back against the Christmas tree as he tried his best to avoid any contact with Tom's cold ballistae blasts.

"You bet your ass it isn't, but you should still fight like a man!" Tom affirmed, creeping up behind the tree like he did before with small steps though now equipped with a decent chunk of snow above the ground. Jordan turned to glance around the truck right as he did so, and Tom took the opportunity to smash the snowy Boulder in his face, knocking the older gamer back off of his feet. "Take that!"

Jordan lay splayed out on his back, similarly to the moment earlier, though a bit more unexpectedly so. He groaned as his back smacked against the slick ice underneath, though his skin was numbed from the cold anyhow, so all he felt was a blunt blow that took away a few breaths of air. "Alright, Tom! You asked for it!" He asserted, getting up onto his feet. If the other gamer really desired some foul play, he could certainly assist in giving it to him. As well, they had a limited amount of time left on the island as is, how much time could a snowball fight displace?

"Let's dance, Sparkley-boy,"

* * *

"You cheated,"

"Nowhere in the rules did it say that I couldn't push you in the water,"

"We didn't fucking establish rules!"

"Exactly,"

Tom rolled his eyes as he and Jordan strode in the door, taking a moment to wring his wet neck tie out. They had spent a good while outside, battling with the remnants of the perpetual precipitation, though it had abruptly ended as soon as the younger gamer had found himself toppling into the ocean from a strategic shove from the elder.

"Don't do that in the house," Jordan chastised, watching as the red fabric bled cold water onto their somewhat nice plank floor. Sure it was Minecraft and the wood wouldn't rot, but it was still a caution hazard.

"I can do whatever the fuck I want," Tom snapped back, displeased with his current state of dryness, or lack thereof. It would evaporate fairly quickly, though not getting wet in the first place would have been preferable.

"Alright, man," Jordan said, backing off of the subject. He peeked about the chests inside, looking for the skull that they had acquired the day before. Though, if he recalled, he had entrusted it to Tom. "Where's the other skull?"

"Jumping right into things, are we?" Tom questioned, tossing himself onto the bed, sitting up to let his legs hang off the side. He had suspected that Jordan would want to start right back up and get things going quickly, yet part of him wished that he wouldn't. After all, a few days back the other did promise a day of relaxation. And today, he craved that more than ever. _Everything is moving so fast, and I can't get my head on straight..._

"Well, I mean, you want to get this over with or not?" Jordan asked, figuring that Tom would grab at the chance to fight anything worthwhile, not excluding the Wither. Wasn't that what drove him to do most things? To his stick his sword into something, fleshy or not? That was how it seemed most of the time, at least.

_Not really_, Tom thought, considering the fact that a precarious quarrel with the most dangerous mob in the game could truly be, well, precarious. Normally, as Jordan had suspected, he would lunge at an opportunity to bravely fight such a creature, but he felt tired and apprehensive. Not that he was scared, he just wasn't in the mood. "Why the fuck not?" He answered, letting himself fall back onto the sheets. "But as soon as we're done, we get that damn relaxation that I was promised a while ago,"

"So the skull?" Jordan pressed again, knocking on one of the nearby chest that he had checked to direct back to the important part of the situation.

"Outside on our trophy-altar-thing," Tom relented, waving the other away. _If he wants to get it so badly, he can fucking get it himself._

Jordan gave a curt nod and turned on his heel, exiting the door to cautiously step out onto the ice, steadying himself as he attempted to cross it. He skidded along the slippery surface until he was able to reach the grassier parts, limiting the risk factor of falling. He didn't want to be banged around before he even fought the Wither, then again he had had that brawl with Tom a bit earlier, earning him a few scrapes and cuts from the ice that he was avoiding now. It didn't really concern him much, either way. He approached the Stone stand that held their trophies, and there in between the sponge and dragon egg sat the lone Wither skull from the day previous. He pursed his lips as he looked down on the dismembered fragment from the skeleton, deeming it's placement unworthy. Delicately, he picked it up from the spot dedicated to the beacon, tucking it under his arm as he made his way back to the house.

"I've got the other two here," Tom said as he heard the other gamer come back in, tapping his fingers on the skulls that he rummaged through his bag for.

"You disgraced the Beacon with this as a lousy place holder," Jordan commented, tossing the skull onto Tom's stomach as the other lay sprawled out on the bed. He heard the inevitable grunt of the impact, chuckling to himself as Tom cursed at him.

"Whatever, we'll get the beacon and put it in it's spot, 'kay Jardan?" Tom said, hoping to appease the other gamer with empty claims. The beacon would eventually rest there once they had made it, yes, but that wasn't important. "What should I do to prepare?"

"Well, you could get our area set up," Jordan suggested, figuring that he would be the one to take care o the potions that they would need and such, so Tom may as well carve out a little cavern for this all to take place. "I'll get some strength II's going,"

"Alrigthy then, where should this thing go down? Bedrock? He can't break that, can he?" Tom asked, thinking back to some previous Wither battles that he had fought, he could not remember this one little crucial fact. If he decided to make the room at bedrock and the Wither blew it up, it was game over, and quite literally so.

"He can't. I think it's obsidian that he can break, if you remember back to that old series that we didn't totally do," Jordan said, inconspicuously hinting at Mianite, specifically the time when the OP's had constructed an obsidian arena for them. Of course, when they had thought that it would be a good idea to spawn the Wither in there, they had come to the realization that it could in fact break the sturdy blocks quite easily, as part of the arena had been destroyed. It was a nice arena, too. One that he had kicked ass in and been handed his own. Both occurred when he fought Tom.

Tom remembered back to the arena indicated, affirming his suspicions about the mob's ability. "Okay, just checking," he said, considering the bedrock scenario. He could hollow out a space down at that level, but that was quite far underneath the surface, and he didn't think that he would want to bother mining all the way there. If anything, they could just use the readied space that was where Tucker had perished. With a little refining, it could easily become a suitable battle ground. "How about we fight 'im were Tucker died? As a tribute of sorts, or so that if one of us dies we can be with him?" Tom teased while laying out his idea, finally rolling off of the bed to grab his armor off of the floor.

"Actually, not a bad idea," Jordan said, finding that it would be good to make use of that particular area for one last time. It was sort of reminiscing, considering that quite a bit had happened in that small space, but he found it suiting that they complete the last big task within it's confines. Well, second to last task. They still had the one-on-one fight to commence, but assuming they both survived the Wither battle, that would be occuring tomorrow. "It'll help with the golems," he added, thinking back to the strategy that they had decided on.

"Well, one Golem, considering the fact that we only have one pumpkin," Tom put in, slipping his boots on as he finished suiting up in his enchanted platings. "I'm really hoping that they fight. It would be so sick!"

"Yeah, okay," Jordan said, thinking about whether or not the Golem would actually fight the Wither. It very well could, but he supposed that there was only one way to tell. "So you don't want to plant more, then? Pumpkins?" He asked, willing Tom to confirm.

"Nah, it might take a while," Tom replied, pursing his lips. Truly, he wouldn't mind waiting another hour or so to grow the bulbaceous vegetable. Or, if he really wanted, they could grab a few bones and grind some meal to sprinkle onto the pumpkin seeds, but that just felt like too much effort for what he wanted to do. "Besides, we'll be the ones that are fighting it, or at least who should,"

Jordan nodded, taking Tom's words into account. Since it was their last and most crucial boss-battle, they may as well go all out and give it their best efforts. If one of them happened to die during the fight, then the survivor would be the victor and simply be left to make a single beacon. That was it. "You good?" he directed to Tom, watching as the younger gamer stood by the door.

"I think so," Tom answered, patting his bag as to feel around its numerous contents. "I've got the iron, my pick, a crap load of arrows and shit, and then I'll grab the pumpkin on my way out," he finished. "And you've got the strengths going?"

"I will in a minute, yeah. I've just got to wait for the stands to heat up," Jordan said, waving his hand over the enkindling metal rods that supported the bottle placings. "If that's all, you can go and start digging up the space. I'll be down when I'm done with these,"

"Alright, yeah," Tom said as he took a few steps to the door, thinking about his current supply of potions. "What do you have regen wise? Any of those going? I know we should be good once you've finished up with those II's but, I don't know..." he trailed off, thinking back to the incident with Sonja. He was certain that neither of them wanted to end up like her, so having an added assurance couldn't hurt in that respect.

"Between what we already have, I think we'll have enough. I mean, we have the apples on top of that," Jordan replied, pulling a few bottles out of a nearby chest. If anything, they were already over prepared by quite a bit. At this rate of how many precautions that they've taken, it would seem as though they were gearing up to fight all three bosses at once. "So we should be fine,"

"Okay, so you've got your apples, then? How many of each?" Tom asked, wanting to make sure that Jordan was well off if they weren't planning on making extra regeneration potions. He tried to ignore the gut feeling that he was getting, one telling him that he was acting like a prying mother instead of a fellow warrior of sorts.

Jordan placed the bottles down to rest on the crafting table as he sifted through his bag to search for the fruits. "Two regular and one Notch," he stated, hoping that was enough to meet Tom's standards.

Pursing his lips, Tom dug through his bag and pulled out a regular apple to toss to Jordan. "I've got two Notch, so you may as well take this since I had an extra," he explained, watching as Jordan turned it over in his hands to inspect its sheen. "I'm actually surprised that they haven't nerfed it yet because it's that OP," he commented, thinking about the effects that the godly fruits could distribute in one bite.

"Well, if you think about it, pre-guardian era, that's a lot of gold," Jordan said, as the reason for most of their apples were from the temples. If they hadn't found both of them, then who knows how long it would have taken them to acquire the amount needed for a second one.

"Do we really get that much from the guardian dudes?" Tom questioned, trying to think about how much they had mined out from the fish creatures' dense quarters.

"Yeah, it's a four-by-four space, so that's a good eight blocks," Jordan replied, mapping out the area that they excavated whilst underwater. "And that's over a stack of gold, too," he added, quickly doing the math.

"Damn," Tom muttered, realizing the sheer amount of resources it required to make the two apples in his bag. It was more than he originally had thought, but not really that he cared. "Anyways, take that apple just in case,"

"Thanks, Tom. I didn't know you cared," Jordan teased as he stuffed it into his bag with the other two.

_Neither did I, _Tom thought comically to himself, watching as Jordan turned his attention to the brewing stands. The older gamer stuck his finger over one of the burners to which Tom could only assume was scalding with the way Jordan retracted and whimpered. With that, Tom laughed to himself and strode over to the other and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, earning a startled jump from Jordan. "I'll be off, now. Come down when you're done cooking our meth," he said, planting a little chaste kiss on Jordan's temple.

Jordan could feel his cheeks heat up as Tom held him, and this warmth was not from carelessly being around the brewing stand. All he could do was hum in response, feeling a small chill as Tom released him and left through the door. After a moment, he turned and went to stand by the door, watching the armored frame of the younger gamer descend underground with a bucket and pumpkin in hand. With the bottles now readied, he left the house as well to pursue the sea water nearby, filling the containers to a desired amount before he securely corked them back up. Now that a good amount of liquid was held in the confines of the small glass wares, he took three in each hand and carefully went back in to place them on the stands, making sure to not slip or burn himself as he did. He set the bottles on their heating pads and popped in some netherwart, beginning the slow wait for them to finish.

Tom galloped down the flights of stairs, tumbling out into the expanse that he had mined through quite a few times over. Taking out his pickaxe, he swung it over his shoulder and set his bag and bucket down by a single redstone ore embedded in the floor. Walking over to the obsidian that he had once laid strewn across in the hopes of appearing to be dead, he place a hand on the dark rock and was not surprised to feel a pulsating warmth on its surface. Withdrawing his hand, he held his pickaxe above his head and brought it down a few times, dispelling the rock and revealing a good flow of lava. With a yelp, he jumped back and lunged for his bucket, dousing the fiery liquid instantly. Placing the bucket down, he grabbed his pickaxe and broke down a few more pieces, exposing more pockets of lava. "Fucking hell,"

Out of boredom, Jordan began flipping open chests and peeking through their contents, seeing if he could find anything of interest. He had gotten to the wall on the other side of the door when his hand brushed against a blade, nearly cutting his already injured finger. _What's with me and getting hurt on accident all the time in this series? Like really? _Jordan thought to himself, sticking his finger in his mouth as he brought the sharp object out of the chest. It was an unused diamond sword, unenchanted and all. Deciding that it may be beneficial to try and enchant it since he was near thirty anyway, he walked over to his potions and checked them. They had successfully absorbed the netherwart and were ready for the blaze powder, which he sprinkled in heavily. Having done this, he took some wheat of a chest and walked out of the door with the sword in hand. Upon reaching the cows, he threw the weapon down on the ground and swung over into the pen, watching as the cattle looked up at him expectantly. With a sigh, he began to throw out pieces of the grains here and there, the cows grudgingly moving past each other to reach the offerings. Turning away from the horny livestock, he felt the XP filter and lit through his skin, boosting him up to his desired level. It was a good thing that he was at the brink of thirty, as he did not like being in the uncomfortable proximity of the squelching noises that soon erupted from the crowd he was stuck in. "Gross," he muttered as he quickly vaulted back over the fence and picked up the sword, making his way to the enchanting area. "I better get something good,"

"It never ends," Tom muttered to himself, sloshing the remnants of the water onto yet another puddle of molten rock. Giving up, he chucked the bucket into a corner and trudged through some trickling water to get back to the main are near the entrance. He shuffled over to his bag and took out some cobblestone to stuff into his pocket as he cleared out some miscellaneous pieces sticking out of the floor, smoothing it out nicely. He did the same to some walls of the cavern, expanding the space enough to comfortably hold a battle, if one could be held so. As he began to finish, he went back into his bag and set out the iron blocks so that when Jordan came down it would be ready to assemble, though it looked as if he had forgotten the soulsand to construct the stand for the Wither. "Oops,"

Jordan cursed as he clumsily knocked over the swords off of the anvil as he inserted glowstone dust into the potions. He had placed his current sword along with the one that he enchanted to see if any of what he had gotten would be worthwhile, but before he had the option to check he knew that he had fucked up. "Damn it!" He hissed, picking up the lone sword on the floor. He had combined them on accident. Turning the glistening weapon around in his hand, he saw that the sharpness that he had once had was now replaced with Smite. "Goddammit,"

As he cleared away a little bit more stone, he heard the footfalls of the other gamer coming down the stairs. "Finish the strength pots?" he asked, assuming that was why Jordan was entering the cavern at long last.

"Yeah, here," Jordan replied, laying Tom's set of potions near his bag for him to collect once he was ready. While he was up on the surface he had suited up in his armor, making sure that he wouldn't forget to. Fighting the Wither without a layer of sturdy ore covering fragile skin was not recommended in the least, especially when you wish to live through the fight. "I also ruined my sword right before we're about to do this, so that's great,"

"How?" Tom questioned as he plucked the potions up and settled them into his bag. Surely whatever Jordan did to his weapon wasn't that bad, as long as he still had one.

"I enchanted one that I found and accidentally combined it with mine, which replaced my sharpness with smite," he relented, accenting the last few words with an indignant tone.

Tom picked up on the agitation in Jordan's seething words, though waved if off. "Isn't that good? Doesn't smite work well on the undead?"

"Well, yeah, but do skeletons count?" Jordan said, trying to remember the technicalities of the ability._ Now would be a damn good time to have a wiki page_. "Isn't it just zombies?"

"Skeletons are undead, too," Tom pointed out, walking over to the iron that he had put away.

"I guess that's true," Jordan said, leaning against a wall. Now that he thought about it, smite very well could be beneficial. "And I think it's that smite does better targeted damage, but sharpness is good all around,"

"Sounds about right," Tom murmurred, striding over to the center of the room to set up the golem.

"You did well," Jordan commented, eyes flickering over the cave that had been expanded by the younger gamer.

"Yeah, but I, uh, forgot to grab something," Tom relented, completing the headless iron figure.

"What is it?" Jordan asked, inviting Tom to indulge whatever necessity it was that he had absentmindedly left at the house.

"Could you run up and grab some soulsand from our farm?" Tom said, batting his eyes.

"Jeez, okay. Am I just your little errand boy?" Jordan taunted, getting off of the wall to pursue the steps.

"In the UK we call it 'being my little bitch' but that works too," Tom snickered, ducking as the older gamer chucked some rocks at him. "Be a good bitch and fetch me sand!"

"That's what they call it?" Jordan asked, his steps toward the staircase faltering as shot a testy glance at Tom.

"Yep. It's in the dictionary," Tom bullshitted, a snobby grin plastered to his face. "The bitch-dictionary,"

"The bitchionary?"Jordan suggested, clicking his tongue as he combined the two terms.

"Yes!" Tom agreed with a breathy laugh, resting his head on the cool iron as he did. "All of the other Youtubers are coming out with books and here we are; planning _The Bitchionary." _

"_The Bitchionary, _yes," Jordan muttered, laughing at the stupidity they were concocting. Before it gets too bad, though, he'd have to go up and get the required sand. "Alright, I'll be back down in a minute,"

Tom hummed to himself as he leaned against the iron blocks, waiting for Jordan to get back down with the sand so they could get things started, though something worried him. What if he didn't douse enough lava? What if the Wither exploded in the earth-shaking way he does and blows some loose? Right on their heads, to make it even better. Perhaps he would discuss this with the other gamer once he returned, but for now he would let the tune of _Jingle Bells_ ring through his mind.

Jordan descended down the steps once more, this time with the soulsand that they needed. "Got it, we good?"

"Well, actually..." Tom began, watching as Jordan's features hardened with annoyance. "I think we need some fire resistance pots, for the lava," he expressed, glancing over at the obsidian carpet to the side of the room.

Jordan murmured to himself as he considered it, finding that one more cautionary step might not be too bad, as it would only one more delay. "Why not?" He mumbled, walking to the space across from Tom to place the soulsand in its "T" formation so that it would be ready for the skulls. "Go ahead and put two of the things on here,"

"Don't you have them?" Tom asked sheepishly, having not picked those up off of the bed.

"Oh my god, I'll be back,"

* * *

"What should we call him?" Tom asked once Jordan handed him a resistance pot that had taken a long extra ten minutes to prepare. They stood in front of the two pedestals of creatures, mentally gearing up for what was soon going to happen. "It would be sick if we had two and named them after Sonja and Tucker,"

"Suiting, but then we don't have the pumpkins, let alone the name tags," Jordan replied, swishing his potion around within his grasp. He swore that with every little movement he made he could clearly hear the sloshing of liquids and the clinking of glass, as that was how many potions he carried on him.

Tom groaned at the thought of sitting and fishing for the remainder of the day, trying to get the items that way. The cute idea wasn't worth it. "Okay, but what about this guy?" he asked, placing a hand on his hip.

"How about Tanja? Sucker?" Jordan suggested, resorting to combining the names into one single alias.

"Tanja! I like it," Tom concluded as he dug through his bag to grasp the pumpkin, rubbing his thumb along the smooth edges. Without further hesitation, he placed the block on top of the iron mound and watched as Tanja sprang to life. "Greetings, beloved Tanja!" He said excitedly, opening his arms up to the dwaddling being in welcome.

The golem blinked at Jordan and turned away, apparently finding the wall behind it more worthy of its attention. "What now?" he asked, his eyes resting on the structured sand that was left. Two skulls rested on the surface of it, the last block waiting for its own.

"How about we mine a little path in either direction for safety?" Tom inquired, already heading to the wall that Tanja was investigating.

Jordan nodded in agreement and went to the wall opposite, taking his pickaxe out of his belt to begin breaking away at the stone. He had gone a good ten blocks deep when Tom called for him to come back into the center.

"So now we'll drink the fire resistance and get 'er going, yeah? Bows only first, and then we can eat and drink and all of the stuff so we can take him out," Tom stated, waiting for Jordan to confirm as he came out of his dugout.

"Yeah, that's good," Jordan replied, eying the skulls mounted on the swirling sand. It was odd that such a structure held such destructive potential, though he didn't question it.

"By the way, here are your family member's stone swords," Tom said to the skulls, taking out a few of the weapons from his bag. He had found them in there while he was waiting for Jordan to come back down with the potions and figured he may as well get rid of them this way.

"This is it," Jordan stated, his eyeline unwavering from the skulls. He broke this gaze to look over at Tom who had met his eyes, sending confidence in waves with his cocky smile. "You ready?" Jordan asked, smirking as he watched the younger gamer crack his knuckles.

"Hell yeah! Let's do this!" Tom hooted, pumping an enthusiastic fist into the air.

"Aren't you going to go over into your hidey-hole?" Jordan asked, raising an eyebrow as Tom expressed his excitements.

"No, I'll stand with you. Until the end, right?" Tom asked affectionately, offering a small smile after his corny statement.

"Well, I really hope that you don't stand there for the whole fight," Jordan teased, the tips of his ears reddening at the sappy comment the other had made. He found that retorting was a fairly easy way to hide his slight embarrassment that he gained through the little things that Tom uttered in that respect. It didn't really work, to his dismay.

"You know what I mean," Tom said, giving Jordan's arm a light shove. He watched as the other shook his head as his cheeks grew pinkish, attempting to shake off the sugar that practically dripped out of Tom's words. He couldn't help it; it was adorable to watch Jordan try and shrug them off.

"Shut up,"

"Make me, Sparkley-dick,"

With a roll of the eyes, Jordan grabbed Tom around the collar and kissed him, making that the second one that day. The older gamer took advantage of his height and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, bringing the two of them closer together. "We better win this," Jordan muttered as he pushed Tom off of him, noticing that the other had a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Will do," Tom purred, taking a step back as Jordan took the last skull out of his bag. "Light this bitch up," he commanded, watching carefully as he awaited his moment to bolt to his side of the cave.

Jordan slammed the skull down onto the mound and scurried off into his tunnel, listening as Tom did the same. He turned to see a bright glimmer of light coming from the blue skeleton of the Wither. Screeches and howls were heard as it charged up, preparing to let itself materialize in the quaking rush that it had. Jordan pulled his bow off of his shoulder and sheathed an arrow, crouching down to get a good angle for his first shot.

With a roar, Tom heard the crucial moment when the Wither sent out its initial blast, allowing them to fire at it. Immediately he had sent arrows flying at it, hoping to significantly impair it. But as the smoke cleared, he saw that the Wither wasn't even where he thought it to be. "Where the fuck is he?" Tom called out, hoping that Jordan was able to hear and respond.

"Tanja's fighting him!" Jordan replied, laughing as the golem smacked the boss around. Yet this was not enough to keep the Wither sated, as with a few blasts Tanja had perished.

"No! Tanja! We'll never forget you," Tom claimed, shouting out to the deceased golem. Though as he did this, the Wither screeched and turned its attention onto Tom, firing a few flaming heaps at him. He was able to avoid the blasts, though the proximity caused him to gain a withering effect. He crumpled down to one knee as the toxin threatened his health and vigorously dug through his bag to pull out the god-apple. "I'm Notch apple-ing!" he yelled, notifying Jordan of his distress. He took a bite and watched as the other fired more arrows at the being.

"Where is he going?" Jordan asked rhetorically, as the boss was burrowing itself into a wall and paying little mind to them. He looked over to Tom, who thankfully was back up on his feet, a golden shimmer present around him like an aura.

"Dunno," Tom replied, the feeling of courageous invincibility coursing through his being, ridding of the plaguing effect. His fingers lit with a fiery force that drove him to reach for his sword, though he found that Jordan had beat him to the Wither, as the older gamer jabbed at it while it sat in the corner of the cave. "Jordan," he whimpered, trying to push back the slight worry that crept into his mind as the other pursued the entity.

"I'm hitting him!" Jordan called, a shrill confidence he once had faltering as he spoke . The Wither turned to him and yelled out, sending a withering effect his way. Stumbling back, he looked over to Tom, who was furiously downing a strength potion. Deciding that he needed some more reinforcement, he took out his god-apple and swiftly bit into it and instantaneously felt the surge of power that came with the fruit's sweet flavoring.

Tom went back in as Jordan finished up and swiped mercilessly at the Wither's ribcage and demented heads, trying his best to wear down its impeccable structure. He watched as a sword other than his own wrought through the main skull and dispelled chunks of bone, leaving a crack that schismed down through its core. A bright light was emitted through the crack along with an affronted shrill, signaling that the fight had been won. "We fucking did it!" Tom crooned, whooping his fist as he had done earlier. "Real quick, too,"

Jordan let a pleased smile creep up and snag at the sides of his mouth, pride and relief bestowing a sense of accomplishment. He had a small and timid fear that perhaps one of them would come out of the fight scathingly so or not at all, due to the lack of ease they had with the previous one. Based on his luck with getting injured, he was sure that the Wither would have had one or two ways to ensure more physical impairments. Though, as it appeared, he was still standing with a very enthralled Tom.

"We did it! We beat the island, Jordan!" Tom reinstated as he approached the shorter gamer, raising his hand up for a high five that was reciprocated weakly. He could sense the oncoming seriousness in Jordan's tone before he even spoke.

"Well, one of us will, but not yet," Jordan stated solemnly, having being reminded this by the rose that flopped down on the rugged stone, its petals drooping lazily as it lay discarded by the fallen Golem. Not only did this signify the death of their temporary companion, Tanja, it also held significance in the way of how they used their other flowers; decorating graves.

"Shit, yeah," Tom replied, his energetic enthusiasm draining as if Jordan had pulled a cork out of his ear. With the hype that he had risen to while preparing for the fight and wrapping his head around things, the fact that only one of them could leave willingly had been abandoned and tucked away in a place forgotten. Now, though, it resonated in his mind with a painful clarity. He didn't want to kill Jordan, nor have Jordan kill him.

"Well this sucks," Jordan commented blandly, swallowing a quivering tone that threatened to appear. In hindsight it wasn't that pressing of a matter, as it wasn't as though one of them would actually be dying, but it was a sharp reminder that all of what happened on the island would be over. Not exactly nonexistent, but ceasing. He didn't know if he wanted that.

"That it does, my friend," Tom said, trying to keep an optimistic tone even though he was mentally drowning in a fit of unhappiness. It was nice that they were going to get off of the blasted island that had consumed more than a month of their lives, but in that month or so he found that he didn't care about that time being wasted, because as far as he knew, it hadn't been. He had uncovered a hidden piece of himself as well as a pursuable interest. Because goddammit if he wasn't going to let himself enjoy Jordan.

Jordan watched as Tom turned and delicately picked up the fallen rose, placing it between his teeth as he rose a brow. In response, all Jordan could do was roll his eyes, though he found the humor to be comforting. "Can we just get out of here?" he asked, a light chuckle escaping as he brushed away some rocks with his foot and bent over to uncover the Nether star, pocketing it as soon as he grasped it. "After all, didn't I promise you the rest of the day to lounge around? Don't you want to do that while you can?"

Tom noted the way the other's voice tripped over the last sentence but disregarded it. He'd be optimistic about this, whether he liked it or not. "If you insist," he said fluently as he took the rose out of his mouth, handing it to Jordan. "For you, my dear,"

"I love slobbery roses, thanks," Jordan remarked, accepting the offering between his thumb and forefinger. He shook the stem a little bit as to show the imaginary dripping saliva, smirking as Tom gave him an unappeased glance.

"Fine, you don't want it, I'll take it back," Tom said in an exaggerated huff, sticking out his hand as to demand the flower back.

"I didn't say that I didn't want it. I just commented on its wetness," Jordan explained, trying to conceal a small smile to obtain his serious glint. He wrapped his hand around it completely and even took a showy whiff to prove his point.

"Whatever you say, Sparklez," Tom groaned, using his outstretched hand to reach out and take Jordan's empty one. "I want a nap," he said with a demanding tone, marching off with the other in tow.

Jordan hummed in agreement as he staggered behind the older gamer, trying his best to keep up with his determined gait. Tom liked his naps. Jordan liked his Tom. "Count me in," he said, nuzzling his rose.

He may as well cherish it while he had it, as the next day he would be using it to adorn the giver's grave.

* * *

**A/N: Again, sorry for not updating this in like, two months. It's summer break for me now, so hopefully won't happen again. **

**But yeah, one more and then we're done.**

**Yer Boi :)**


	9. Final Chapter: Day 32

**A/N: LAST CHAPTER WOW. **

**This is it, guys! The final chapter. And it only took seven months.**

**Yeah it shouldn't have taken that long, I'm sorry.**

**Anyway, please read my little note after you finish the chapter and enjoy :)**

**(Also, bonus points if anyone recognizes something that Martha may have said/written in a Mianite episode)**

* * *

Tom stood by the patio furniture, a glass of milk in hand. He ran a lazy hand through his hair, attempting to ruffle it into place messily as he took a drink. Setting the bottle down, he glanced over at Jordan, whose gaze was drifting out over the sea beyond them.

It had been quiet morning, a contented yet thick air settling about them. If it got any denser then it could probably be considered sludge. It made them slow in their movements and words, all being chosen carefully and cautiously. Each action was soft and considered, though it still managed to annoy the other slightly. Neither of them wanted to say anything, though they ached to.

They had to acknowledge that today would inevitably be their last on the island.

Eventually.

The admonition of this crawling denouement sat in the atmosphere, lacing each inhale so that they would be even less willing than before. It went unsaid that both Jordan and Tom were dreading to do anything other than sit and enjoy the other's company on this warm and inviting morning, though words unspoken were often the ones that needed to be heard the most. In certain cases, at least.

Jordan brought his gaze in from the sea to Tom, as he had felt the other hero's eyes on him. He offered a small smile to which was returned unenthusiastically and he felt as though he shouldn't have even made the effort. Of course Tom was going to be somewhat indifferent to him today. It made sense, anyway. For only a little while longer would they remain cordial, to his distaste.

"You okay?" Tom asked, watching Jordan as his smile soured and the other gamer looked away from him. Sure, Tom's own smile hadn't exactly shined the brightest, but he didn't like how Jordan was being a bit somber. The other was usually quiet, yes, but there was a certain melancholy that drenched his entire aura. Though Tom was sure that he himself was acting exactly the same. He couldn't help that, but he did want to see some improvement on Jordan's front.

"Dandy. Why do you ask?" Jordan muttered in a bored tone, fiddling with a sliver of wood that was fraying off of the surface of their makeshift table. He leaned back in his chair as he pried if free, flicking it at Tom playfully as he would have done on any other day as to support his claim of complacency.

"You seem mopey, Jardon," Tom said with a pout, sliding into the chair across from Jordan. He picked up his drink by his thumb and forefinger, swinging it around as to swirl the frothy liquid inside. He slumped forward and let his palm prop him up, lazily setting the glass on the table as he regarded Jordan.

"Like you aren't?" Jordan scoffed, pushing at Tom's wrist so that his head fell, though the other gamer was able to catch himself and shoot Jordan a glare. Tom appeared to be the physical epitomic embodiment of bleakness himself, therefore he shouldn't even comment on Jordan's state. He, besides Tom, was trying. Or _did_ try, for that matter.

"I'm just tired. Shut up," Tom replied weakly, suddenly taking interest in his milk. It was good that he wasn't lactose intolerant, as milk was really all they had to drink on their island. There was the ocean, of course, but all water that they retrieved from that was laden with salt and grime from who knows what. Milk was truly a blessing, in a way.

"Says the one who practically slept all day yesterday. I mean, I knew you wanted to relax after the Wither battle but I didn't know that entailed napping excessively," Jordan said, his words ending with a humorless laugh. "Left me quite lonely,"

"Not my fault that the other two bastards died and weren't there to pay attention to you," Tom muttered, rolling his eyes. Jordan was right, though. He had slept a good majority of the remainder of their day that they had been given to do as they pleased, and Tom couldn't help but feel as though he had wasted it. It was the last day that they would have to themselves entirely, and he had the nerve to ignore Jordan and ease a lethargy he didn't even know he had. He wouldn't admit this regret, though, as he was still a little bit agitated for whatever reason.

"I know, but I was thinking that the bastard that's so unfairly stuck with me maybe wanted to. Because, you know, I though he actually liked my company and all," Jordan murmured, pushing up and out of his seat as he sought to escape from their conversation. He didn't like the way Tom snapped at him, and he'd be damned if the other blamed it on a lack of sleep because Jordan knew that was the least credible or even honest answer that he could have been given.

Tom reached out and grabbed Jordan by the wrist, realizing his fault. The other gamer turned to look at him and protest, though Tom cut him off with a quick kiss before he could say a word. "I'm sorry," he whispered quietly, though Jordan was still within close enough range to hear him. "I wanted to beat your ass in a champion's game of tag, but I guess I got too tired. I don't know,"

"How does someone even win a game of tag, anyway?" Jordan asked innocently, wordlessly accepting Tom's apology. It wasn't a big deal by any means, he just supposed that they had gotten caught up in the thickness of the tensions layered in the air. He was glad, though, that Tom had taken his from him in the best of ways before Jordan got too flustered with irritation.

"How the fuck do I know? I thought that you of all people would know, since you're a game expert and all," Tom said with a smirk, watching as the other rolled his eyes at the comment.

"I am, am I?" Jordan questioned, folding his arms across his chest. He could tell that Tom was in one of those teasing moods and was trying to draw Jordan into it as well. As usual, the other gamer was successful. "How so?"

"Well, you play games for a living," Tom said, leaning back to that he was able to sit atop of the back of the chair behind him. He was glad that he was able to turn their chafingly uncomfortable conversation into one of a light manner seemingly with just a kiss and a sentence or two. The notion was powerful."So you must be pretty good with them, yeah?"

"I mean, sure, but wouldn't you be good with games, too?" Jordan asked, finding it amusing that Tom was choosing to neglect his own similar profession. "Since you game for a living, as well,"

"Do I?" Tom inquired, raising a hand up to his chin as to feign that he was deeply considering this. "That's neat-o," he said after a moment, smiling at Jordan as he reached out to the hem of the other gamer's long blazer to give it a tug. As he had coordinated, Jordan stumbled forward and into him though, the other's face lighting up in alarm as he did. "Are we in a game now, Mr. Fellow-Gaming-Expert?" he asked in a low voice, a wide grin developing on his face as Jordan nodded.

"That we are," Jordan mumbled, numbly aware of Tom's arms wrapping around his waist, pulling him forward even more. He placed his own hands on the other gamer's knees cautiously and Tom's smile relaxed into a smirk, obviously appeased with Jordan's alacrity. At this, Jordan blushed and looked away to try and mask his chagrin, though Tom still saw it.

"Embarrassed are we, Sparklez?" Tom hummed, biting his lip softly as Jordan's cheeks only reddened more with the acknowledgment. "It's okay, I'm sure that I can win it for you and it'll all be fine," he said teasingly, chuckling as Jordan tried to move away from him at the comment.

"Ha-ha. Very funny, Tom," Jordan said in a bored tone, giving up on attempting to elude Tom's grasp, as it was evident that the other gamer had no intent of letting that happen. "But I can't let that happen," he finished, a certain competitive drawl lining his tone in thick coats.

"Yeah? Is that so?" Tom challenged, using his legs to wrap around his captive to further entrap him. His ankles locked together behind Jordan's thighs, giving the other no choice but to come even closer. "How can you beat me if you can't even escape me, huh?" He practically purred, watching in delight as pink flooded the other's features yet again. It was fun to exercise this power that he had.

"M-maybe I don't want to," Jordan stammered, sounding less confident than he had intended. Tom nudged him with his elbows which clumsily resulted in Jordan having his hands resting hesitantly on the wood of the chair that the other gamer sat on, bringing his face to be even with Tom's eye level. There he could see a dangerous glint in his eyes that Jordan would usually associate with Tom's blood lust, though he felt as though that maybe he simply needed to remove one of those words and he'd be closer to the other gamer's actual poignancy.

"That's good, because I don't exactly want you running off," Tom said, tilting his head as he finally pulled Jordan the rest of the way into him. Their lips met with a hungry fervor that hadn't been present in any of their previous clashes, though he believed this to be derived from the snapping release of the tensions of all sorts that had risen that morning. Tom found that somewhat grateful for that, and he also became receptive to the fact that his arms had abandoned the other gamer's waist and went direct for his neck, encircling it as he leaned back to allow Jordan a better angle to reach him from. Yet with the small weight shift back, his center of gravity pivoted and he slipped off of the back of the chair and bungingly into the seat, letting go of Jordan in the process. "Fuck,"

Jordan laughed as Tom yelped and fell out of his grasp, the situation taking a comical turn. Or pitiful, though he was sure that he would get slapped if he told Tom that that was how he looked slumped back into the piece of furniture, trying to squirm his way back up and out though failing miserably so. "Need assistance, sir?" Jordan asked, offering a hand as he chuckled.

Tom grumbled as he took the hand though he had no intention of using it to help him up from his dilemma, rather using it to yank the other gamer over the edge of the chair. Jordan's free hand was able to catch himself on the back, though he was thrust forcefully enough so that he was bent over and staring down at Tom, shock dominating his features. "I think I'm good now, but thanks," Tom affirmed, letting his unbusied arm to sling back around Jordan's neck and dragged him down to kiss him yet again. He hadn't pursued the other gamer to this extent yet, though he quite liked it. And judging by Jordan's reaction, he did, too.

"Tom," Jordan groaned as he pulled away, shoving at the other's shoulder. The blush had returned to his face and was in full bloom thanks to Tom's smooth little performance.

"What?" Tom asked, letting his arm fall from it's place around Jordan. He was met with a glare, though the expression soon softened as the other hero began to giggle. "I was just taking advantage of an opportunity that I had. Can't blame me," he said, pushing himself so that he rolled off of the side of the chair and onto the grass, landing on his feet to his surprise. He didn't know that he could possibly have such finesse.

"Whatever," Jordan muttered, crossing his arms as he stepped away from the chair. He relished the little distraction, though. As he had come to realize recently; Tom had that way with him. He made it easy to get lost in their conversational banter or frantic activity, whatever that may entail. It was all fun with the other gamer, even on days when fun should be the furthest adjective from their minds.

Like today, perhaps.

Jordan's features darkened from the lightness that they were, now becoming somewhat solemn as they had before they had gotten antsy. "We have some things to get started on," he said, pursing his lips as Tom straightened out his shirt.

"I know," Tom stated, fiddling with his tie. He was very aware of their situation and what was to be expected of them as Jordan was, though he didn't know why exactly the other wanted to begin the process of finishing things up. They were having a bit of careless fun just then, so why would he want to completely cease all of that and get to the depressing bit of their final day? He'd rather playfully kiss Jordan than stab him. "But why so soon? Don't you want to do something else?"

"What else is there to do?" Jordan asked, finding that their list of things to do was fairly short now that the end was near. In fact, that list was comprised of the following: 1.) Build the beacon and 2.) Fight each other. Depending on how those things were completed, specifically the last objective, there may be more to do or it could very well end there. Only time could tell.

"Well, I know something that someone wanted to do but couldn't because of my lazy ass," Tom said suggestively, placing his hands on his hips as he smirked.

"And what was that?" Jordan asked, arching his eyebrow.

"Play tag," Tom answered, polishing his nails on his shirt as he admired them to feign disinterest.

"You were the one who wanted to play tag," Jordan corrected with a roll of his eyes.

"Doesn't matter! You want to play or not?"

"Of course,"

* * *

"What's with you and playing dirty, Sparklez? And why does it always end up with me getting fucking soaked?"

"Hey, I'm sorry. I slipped," Jordan apologized with a chuckle, settling himself down onto one of the mattresses. "It's my defense mechanism, I guess,"

"It's annoying," Tom replied, tossing his soggy blazer onto the chair as he stripped himself of his shoes and socks to lay out as well. He simply wrung out his tie once he entered into the house, earning a disapproving expression from Jordan. "What? It's not like it'll matter. We'll be gone soon enough," he said almost bitterly, his fingers combing through his wet and tangled mess of hair.

Jordan hummed in response. "What do you think will happen to the world after we leave it?" he asked quietly, wondering as to what Tom figured would be the fate of the lands and seas that had been claimed by them over the past month. Perhaps all that they meddled with would be dealt away with; all the blocks they disturbed or made would be renounced. The notion was a bit depressing. To think that everything that they possibly even touched would be nullified to the point so that it would be as though they were never actually there. Depressing.

"I talked to Dec about it. He said that all of the blocks get turned to gravel with certain codes based on what it was and it's coordinates and they drop so that they level out a couple blocks under bedrock so that if it gets used again it can just revert into place before the new players get on. It's weird," Tom answered, recalling the odd process that the ginger had tried to explain to him. He hadn't paid attention much, though, and he only told Jordan the parts that he had understood.

"So the Island will fall?" Jordan summarized, grabbing his chin out of speculation. That wasn't what he had thought would happen at all, but then again, he wasn't one who was well familiar with the workings of the technology. It probably made sense, though not to him.

"Pretty much," Tom said with a shrug of his shoulders, somewhat indifferent to the concept. He didn't so much care if their whole home got bombarded with stack of TNT as long as he wasn't on it when it happened. They'd be gone, so what would it matter? If anything, the whole world was just a physical reminder of the time that they had spent there. He didn't need to know that it would be safe to feel content about that time. He had memories, and those would be there forever. Unless if karma bit him in the ass like it probably would and give him actual amnesia, with his luck. That would suck. But, of course, there would always be the videos and their content to have. He almost forgot that he'd be sharing this whole experience with thousands upon thousands of people.

Fun.

"It'll literally fall," Jordan repeated, still a little struck by the concept. The things people could do with complex coding and software dazzled him all too often. He could tell that Tom was aware of his current state of perplextion as the other gamer smirked at him knowingly. "That's pretty awesome,"

"Hey, Jordan," Tom pressed with a giggle, an idea manifesting in his head. Not so much an _idea_ really, though it was probably as equally groan worthy as any thought that would brew in his mind.

"What?" Jordan asked slowly, sensing a layer of mischievousness in Tom's voice. He gripped the sheets underneath of him as he saw a certain glint appear in Tom's eyes as the other gamer stalked over to where Jordan sat, the younger's sly pair of thumb and forefinger cupping his chin.

"Are you gravel?" Tom began, playfully tipping Jordan's face up to bore his eyes into the others', making sure that the only emotion his own contained was that of a dark rascality. "Because I'm falling for you,"

Jordan reached back to grab a pillow, using it to slug across Tom's unsuspecting face. "You did not just use an awful pick up line on me like that, Tom. Oh my god," Jordan said with a defeated laugh, watching as Tom staggered back and groaned.

"It was bloody terrific! What are you on about?" Tom asked, appalled that Jordan wasn't completely wooed off of his feet. If he were standing, that was. Then again, lines like the one he pulled were often very discredited. It was a shame.

"It was pretty good, I'll give you that much," Jordan admitted as he shook his head. He admired small gestures like that, though he still found them exceedingly ridiculous. As well, it was just what he would expect from Tom.

"You're damn right," Tom said, stumbling forward onto the bed, positioning himself so that he lay on his stomach perpendicularly to the way Jordan was sitting. He nuzzled into the pillow that he had been assaulted with, having plucked it off of the floor after the older gamer had so rudely flung it into his face. "What now, then?" He asked after a few moments of contented silence, willing something to happen at the expense of his forthcoming boredom.

"Well, we have that beacon to make," Jordan said, referencing his mental to-do list. "We can make the base out of iron, so if you want to get that going, I can craft it," he offered, though he already felt Tom shifting to get up.

"Sounds good," Tom replied, standing up to move over to the chests. He plucked a few blocks of iron from the belly of the container and made his way out the door, letting Jordan fiddle with the task of making the beacon. He didn't remember how to, anyway.

He walked over to the assemblage of trophies on the stone display that he had made and stood before it with his hands on his hips. He'd have to break some of the bricks if he wanted it to be in line with the other objects, though he figured that it wouldn't really matter. It would act more for functionality than aesthetics now, anyway. Without a second thought, he destroyed the stone that would have been in his way and laid out a three-by-three sheet of iron for the beacon to sit upon. It wouldn't be the strongest of any by far, though it would serve its figurative purpose regardless of levels of power.

"Good to go?" Jordan asked, coming out of the house as he saw Tom dusting away some stones from the dragon egg with his foot. "Be careful to not kick that," he warned.

"Oh god, could you imagine?" Tom suggested, his mind painting a scenario in which the egg was teleported off into the sea somewhere out of reach. He simply would chose to not deal with it at that point. Fuck the egg. They had retrieved it at that point, so what did it matter if it was actually there?

"Yeah, it would suck," Jordan muttered, approaching the metal stand that Tom had set out. The shrunken beacon was in his hand, and with a nod of confirmation from the other he set it down into the middle of the pad. "What we want it to give off?" he asked, tapping into the small menu screen on the side.

"How about speed?" Tom offered, recalling one of the few abilities that the rays could emit.

"Alright, Speed it is," Jordan said as he tapped the speed icon, a bright white beam shooting out from the top of the beacon as he did. He stuck his arm into the light and felt as his feet seemingly lightened brilliantly. He took a few tentative steps and found that he hurried along quickly, though only for a few seconds. "It's pretty weak," he concluded, watching as Tom followed in suit.

"We don't exactly need it to be strong. It's there, and that's what matters, I guess," Tom said, placing a hand on his hip as he kicked at the beacon. "Can we get colored glass and make it pretty?" he asked, remembering that adding stained glass could turn the beam of light the particular color that it shone through. If they could get a purple beacon or something or another perhaps it could make up for its lack of strength with the addition of fun colors.

"I don't think we have that version. And like you said, it'll be fine," Jordan answered, fairly certain that panes of colored glass were items that they could not yet make. He had tried a few days back when Sonja was around and boredly smeared some green dyes on a pane of glass and all the dye did was get all over himself. Tom had then forced him to go out and plant some wheat, as Jordan had _acquired a green thumb._ It was stupid beyond words.

"Darn," Tom muttered, stepping away from the contraption to stand back with Jordan. He slung an arm around the older gamer's shoulders and let his eyes gaze over their three trophies; symbols of their wavering success. The sponge sat dry and cracked on the stone, a dark rim around the stone that it had previously dampened. The illustriously mauve and ashen colored egg laid on it's side, turned over from the breeze. And lastly, there was the beacon that was slightly off-center from the prods it had received from Tom's foot, though the beam was still being emitted brightly. And they had all been collected and placed right in front of them; their accomplishments. "We did it, Jordan. We fucking did it,"

"Yeah," Jordan said with a minor scoff, leaning into Tom. They had killed several guardians, slain the Ender dragon, and whooped the Wither's ass, all with only two casualties. Two dumb, careless casualties, but only two, nonetheless. Though here he stood with the other survivor, letting the fervor that was a gratifying sense of completion pour down unto him in waves. "We did it,"

Tom hummed in response, letting his arm fall off of the other to let his hand seek Jordan's. He intertwined their fingers and gave an encouraging squeeze. "It's over," he said in a hushed whisper, willing Jordan to correct him. He knew it wasn't. Not yet, at least. Though he wished that it was; that it could could end right here where they stood and they'd both be victors. But he couldn't have that.

"Not quite," Jordan muttered, pulling away from Tom's comforting touch to wander off to the side. He stopped by the graves and placed a hand on his neck, rubbing it as he looked down on the cobble markers. One of them would have to accompany their friends here, and all too soon for his liking.

Tom remained quiet for a moment as he watched Jordan stand with his back to him in front of the graves, his hands in the pockets of his long blazer with his billowing cape behind him. To him the other gamer resembled someone quite pained, though why he was intrigued him. Tom himself was somewhat upset to see that his time on the island would end anon, though he was able to convince himself that the end was timely so. It had been a month, anyway, and they originally only expected it to take two or three weeks. Then again, they had anticipated that most of them would still be around to get things finished up. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Though, he had a feeling that Sonja and Tucker's deaths were more of a blessing than a hindrance if he were to think about it. After all, the lack of hands prolonged their stay and forced him and Jordan to _bond _or whatever. He was sure that was exactly the way Tucker would phrase it, most likely accommodated with a sly smirk and a knowing glint in his eyes. The only downside to being gay for Jordan was that he'd have to deal with all of the shit-eating smiles and teasing, though that was well bearable. He did that enough himself, anyway.

But yes, Jordan was definitely a considerably good causatum. Never before had he ever found someone who complimented him so confoundingly well or intrigued him as much as this fellow YouTuber had. It confused him endlessly, though he didn't exactly care about understanding feelings or anything like that. He usually had a good moral scope on if something was positive or negative, and he found that his feelings for the other gamer were on the extreme side of the beneficiary spectrum, and that was all he needed.

That was all he wanted.

Tom had come to the island in hopes of participating in order to create some good content for his channel with a few of his friends and yet here was at the end of that commitment with so much more than he had sought out for. It was odd how things could workout in ways such as that, though he found that he wasn't complaining. He couldn't complain, because there was nothing that he deemed to be worthless or unnecessary in this situation. It was almost surreal.

Especially now, because it would all inevitably turn to shit.

Regardless, though, he put a small smile on his face and walked over to the other gamer and threw his arms around his shoulders and nuzzled into his neck. "You stupid shit, you," he said, letting his chin rest on his arm. He felt Jordan reach up and pet the back of his head, rubbing a small circle into his hair.

"What did I do to you?" Jordan groaned, feigning offense from Tom's sudden remark.

"You're gonna make me miss you," Tom said with a chuckle, releasing Jordan from his hold to slump down onto the ground in front of the flower laden grasses near Tucker's grave. "It'll really suck when you're dead," he said with a weak smirk, patting the ground to prompt the older gamer to sit with him.

Denying the invitation, Jordan nudged Tom with his foot. "What do you mean? I don't plan on dying anytime soon," he said confidently, waving off the little threat with one of his own. "You should, though"

"Hell no. I'm not biting it today," Tom replied testily, tugging forcefully on Jordan's pant leg until he complied and sat down next to him. "Because I'm not a loser like them," he said, pointing at the stone representations of their deceased friends.

"And I am?" Jordan asked incredulously, raising and lowering a hand to indicate himself.

"Is that even a question, Jardon?" Tom retorted, rolling his eyes back as to convey irritation.

"Screw you, man," Jordan said with a laugh, shoving Tom to the side. "I'm not a loser,"

"Whatever you say, Sparklez," Tom muttered with a shrug of his shoulders, his indifferent tone seeping into a small chuckle.

Jordan shook his head and looked off to the side, rereading the passages on the signs that were mounted on the makeshift grave stones. _RIP Tucker, Episode 3. RIP Sonja, Episode 23. _If he counted correctly, today was the thirty-second. He laughed inwardly at the conversation he and Tom had a while back about the finale possibly ending on the thirty-third, though it appeared that they stopped a day short of that. A shame, really. It could have been so symbolic or whatever.

He lowered his gaze and picked at the grass, rubbing the green stalks in between his fingers. The two that had passed away had had somewhat miserable deaths, though he supposed that they weren't too gruesome or pained compared to what could have been another prospect. An example of what that could be the battle that he and Tom were to inevitably partake in shortly.

_What would it be like? _He wondered, as he had never felt pain in Mianite like he did here. The other world numbed the nerves to sensations gained from harm and such, but on the island it was embraced and colored. It was supposed to be anyway, as someone had said that it would help so that they wouldn't be as careless with their bodies or something. To him it was just bothersome because it seemed as though he got injured more here than in the realm of Mianite. It was a hindrance instead of a safety protocol in his mind.

But then that question surfaced in his thoughts; _What would it be like?_ What would death be like? Here, in a world where pain is harmonized and enhanced, what would a sword to the gut feel like? It would hurt a shit ton; that was a given. But as a person who had never experienced something as intense as that, how would it feel? Would he feel the sensations of his death? Or would it be numb and quick like it had always been?

The ideas were frightening him to, as he was somewhat afraid of the notion that he may possibly have to find an answer for this question soon.

"Hey, Tom?" Jordan called, breaking the comfortable silence that had drifted into their atmosphere.

"Yeah?" Tom asked, tearing his gaze from its temporary resting position on the ocean to meet Jordan's, squinting as he adjusted to the view of the bright midday sun.

"What do you think dying would be like?" Jordan inquired, deciding that he wished to receive Tom's perspective on the matter.

"I don't know, you'll have to tell me," Tom said with a smirk, laughing as Jordan rolled his eyes at the suggestion that the older gamer would be the one to perish in the fight. "Loser,"

"Tom, I'm serious," Jordan groaned, leaning back to let his forearms prop him up as he extending his legs outward from their place tucked beneath him. "What do think it would be like to die here? Would it hurt like everything else or what?"

Letting out a sigh, Tom rubbed his face and contemplated the question in a more concerned manner. He hadn't really thought about such an existential thing as _death_ while he had been here, but now it was worrying him. "Fuck, I hope it doesn't," he said, scratching the back of his neck as he grimaced. "We'll just have to see then, eh? Because I'm sure you'll get some good swings at me. A few, though. Not many," he commented, choosing to make more fun at Jordan.

"Oh yeah. I'm sure," Jordan said, finding it petty that Tom was teasing him like this. He'd get some hits in for sure; right on the other's ass. "But you'll miss me, then?" Jordan prompted, remembering the comment that Tom had made earlier. He wouldn't usual count on the other to admit such a thing, though he supposed that the younger gamer had surprised him enough lately so that it wasn't as unexpected. It was still unanticipated all the same.

"Of course," Tom responded with a scoff, nudging Jordan's leg with his. "Believe it or not, I've grown to be quite fond of you," he said, pretending as though the concept hadn't been as openly conceded as it had been.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Jordan hummed, kicking Tom back. "Though I guess I should have known with the way you've been all over me lately,"

"I'm a real touchy guy," Tom confessed in a sigh, nodding along as Jordan chuckled.

"Is that so?" Jordan questioned, shaking his head as he let it fall back. "Does that mean you get kissy with other people, too?"

"Nah,"

"Nah?"

"Nah,"

"I'm glad that you're confident in your answer," Jordan muttered, acting as though the thought was incredulous.

"You're damn right I am," Tom said, weakly pounding his fist into the dirt between them.

Jordan scoffed, though chose to let Tom have a victory in this discussion. It was trivial and nothing but repartee, though that didn't lessen its value as a conversation. It was silly, yet he liked these times most; the light occurrences when they could just relax and be themselves whilst enjoying whatever moment it was that they were having. It was nice.

"Want me to prove it?" Tom asked, waggling his eyebrows as he gave Jordan an exaggeratedly suggestive glance. "Prove that I can really kiss a person like they're the only one in the world," he finished, smiling at his own words. Jordan was the only other person in the world, so really his claim contained no validity. Though it still aroused a slight blush on Jordan's cheeks, nonetheless.

"You're ridiculous," Jordan said as he rose up out of his spot in the grass, leaving a seething Tom on the ground. "And I don't need you to. I got to see just how kissy you can be earlier,"

"Well, Jordan, that was just a taste. I can be a whole lot more _kissy_, you know," Tom purred, finding that Jordan's usage of the particular word to be petty yet endearing in an innocent fashion. He liked that he could entice this behavior with just a few teasing phrases that could roll off of his tongue without him even having to think about it. Doing this was probably a gift.

"Good for you," Jordan said, blushing a little more as Tom refused to drop the subject. He fiddled about by the outdoor furniture as Tom stood up behind, dusting off the dirt off of the wooden seats and table. "Real great," he muttered audibly enough for only himself to hear.

"Your loss," Tom said with a wave, accompanying Jordan by the chairs. He leaned against the edge of the table and rested his head in the pole if the fence post that held the umbrella, watching the other gamer muddle around. "So," he said, trying to transition onto something else.

"So what?" Jordan asked, sitting down in the chair that he had cleaned off.

"What now?" Tom repeated, willing Jordan to elaborate on whatever he would want them to do. He had an idea as to what they were supposed to do, though he didn't want to rush things into things. He didn't feel quite prepared enough, though he didn't know how he could prepare himself mentally for such a task.

Jordan pursed his lips and let his eyes wander away to the trees behind the farm. He as well was painfully aware of their impending responsibility, yet he found dragging it out anymore would simply be pointless. They needed to stop thinking in the terms of _eventually_. "Do we want to get things going?"

"What else do we have to do?" Tom asked rhetorically as he shut his eyes, deciding that he'd have to accept this progression. He knew that the fight would be how the winner would be decided since he had set foot on the island and it hadn't bothered him in the slightest. But now, due to the crazy emotional attachment that he had drawn, it _had_ begun to bother him. Yet what could he do?

"True," Jordan murmured, not going to point out that they feasibly could delay time by playing more children's games, even though he was almost positive that Tom may have been quite open to the suggestion. They had an agenda to adhere to. "So then how are we going to do this?" He asked in a sigh.

"What do you mean?" Tom question, confused as to what Jordan was asking, though more so surprised that Jordan was being forward now. He was sure that the other intended to discuss preparations for the fight, but part of Tom simply wanted the older gamer to resist his demands to get things started. It was a double standard, and a stupid one at that, but he couldn't help it. He wanted this all to end but didn't at the same time and he didn't know how to go about dealing with it.

"Like what are we going to use?" Jordan clarified, tapping the table as he thought about weapons and armor variations that they'd allow themselves. Should they pick a theme like they did in Mianite, or would it be easier to just go about utilizing what they already had? Proper arrangements would be needed to be had or else things could get messy real fast.

"Oh, I mean wouldn't it just be easier to just use our armor and swords?" Tom suggested as though the notion would have been obvious. They had great protection and defense on their platings, and even better amounts of damage on their swords, so why wouldn't they use them?

"They differ too much," Jordan said plainly, as he had forgotten about his own weapon's lack of benefits until then. The sharpness that Tom had on his sword would give him a greater advantage over Jordan, one specifically that Jordan would not like to other gamer to have. "We have to do this fairly, you know. So it's a genuine test of who's more skillful at fighting instead of who's more better at getting good enchantments,"

"Yeah, good point," Tom said with a small laugh, agreeing with the other's logic. If Jordan were to allow Tom to use his sword that would be screwing himself over. In a few whacks, Jordan would be done and regardless of what armor he had. So unless if he wanted to be called out for cheating countless times in the comments of the video that was made from this, he'd have to abide to some restrictions.

"We probably have enough iron. We could make some armor and swords from that, maybe," Jordan offered, as they didn't have any diamond to supply new amenities. That, and it was not as resilient yet still plenty lethal. It would do the job just fine.

Tom hummed in agreement and followed Jordan into their house and dug through their chests, mustering a good four blocks. "Where's all of the ingots?" He asked, as he was sure that they had more of the ore.

Jordan shrugged indifferently, not too concerned about their missing ingots. "We have enough for some stuff," he said, calculating all that they could make with what they were left with. "Two chest plates, two swords, and two helmets?" He suggested, ignoring the remaining few that they wouldn't really need to use.

"Sounds good," Tom said as he broke down the blocks into nine portions and slid them over to Jordan, who hastily shifted them into place to make the various chunks of armor. He reached over and plucked two sticks from the nearest chest and handed them off to the other gamer who promptly welded them into swords. The items having been made, they divided them into halves and adorned the platings and swords. "Iron is so goddamn shiny," he commented, watching as light danced on the surface of his metal gauntlet.

"That it is," Jordan mumbled in response, picking at the edge of his freshly manufactured weapon. With a smirk, he tilted the blade so that the light from a nearby torch reflected off of it and bounced directly into Tom's eye. The other gamer flinched and moved to turn away from the obtrusive light.

"Fuck you," Tom said with a groan, grabbing Jordan's arm as he hauled him over to the door. He had had enough time in their, anyway. Though as the other stumbled about behind him to meet Tom at the exit he turned to face the interior of the house. He let his eyes wander about the room, settling over various objects and items as they stood. "Our last time in here," he stated quietly, his gaze falling on the pen in the corner.

Jordan watched silently as Tom left him by the door and pursued the rabbit in the back of the room. The other lifted Moo out and tucked him under his arm, walking back over to Jordan and through the door. The bunny was placed to the side of the house, hopping about happily as it explored the grass that it had most likely missed dearly. "He was a nice pet," Jordan commented, remembering how Sonja had cooed over him so fondly.

"And now he's free," Tom said with a contented sigh as he placed his hands on his hips, regarding the rabbit one last time. Having given it a nod of appreciation he turned on his heel and walked off to the middle of the expanse in front of their house, waiting there until Jordan caught up to him. "Well," he started, though no other words followed as the other stopped in front of him.

"Well," Jordan repeated, having some sense as to what their conversation was to evolve into; one consisting mainly of farewells. "It's been fun. Can't say that I would have preferred to have been stuck on an island with anyone else but you guys," he said, taking a glance over Tom's shoulder at the graves to which he gave a weak smile.

"What about individual-wise? Would I have been your preferred choice?" Tom asked in a lilt of a childish tone, clasping his hands in an eager show to feign anticipation for the answer.

"By far," Jordan answered, his smirk being overtaken by a grin as Tom let one spread across his own features. He had genuinely gradually come to appreciate and value the time spent alone with Tom, as was fairly evident in his actions and words, no matter how teasing he could be. That was a part of what had made it so enjoyable, anyway. They had fun; careless, crazy, idiotic fun. So what was there not to like about being isolated with Tom?

"Same here, but it's only because I _had _to because I couldn't manage to kill you off sooner," Tom replied with a roll of his eyes, sneering as Jordan raised an eyebrow at him. That was a complete and blatant lie, and the other obviously saw right through it, though he couldn't fight the compulsion that still compelled him to utilize his snark attitude until the very end. Even if they were sort of supposed to be having a moment. "Truly a damn shame,"

"You had plenty of chances to kill me," Jordan pointed out with a scoff, deciding that their somewhat somber mood that was inching closer in had been completely discarded and ignored. Nothing that shouldn't be expected, anyway. "In the Nether Fortress, the Temple, Mob Spawner, even my sleep for fuck's sake,"

"True," Tom said simply with a shrug of his shoulders, though he smirked as he folded his arms across his chest. "But then I would have never have gotten you to fall for my illustrious charm," he purred, taking a hand to run under Jordan's chin softly.

"Oh yeah, that's it," Jordan grumbled as Tom let his hand fall. "Still haven't actually seen any of that yet,"

"That's awful darude of you, Sparklez," Tom said with a gasp, taking a step back cautiously as though Jordan had assaulted him. "And to think I was going to miss you," he muttered as he shook his head, folding his arms across his chest indignantly.

"You will," Jordan stated plainly, reasoning through Tom's foolery as he usually did.

"Oh I know I will," Tom said with a wave of dismissal, making little of the notion. "And you'll miss my charm. You're just denying that I have any because you don't want to admit that you're head over heels for me," he affirmed, not giving into Jordan's will.

"Whatever, Tom. Keep telling yourself that," Jordan said with a roll of his eyes. "This charm that you supposedly have won't help you beat me, anyway,"

"You say that now, Sparklez," Tom began, a layer of chiding warning in his voice. "But I'll have you know that you don't have the heart to kill me,"

"Really?" Jordan near scoffed, his tone testy. "How is that?"

"Well, you don't have the heart because I took yours," Tom replied with a wink, biting his lip as Jordan blushed deeply. "So yeah," he summarized, watching as the other gamer gave him a challenging glance.

"You're ridiculous, you know that?" Jordan inquired as he shook his head, rubbing his face as he regarded Tom. That was almost as bad as the pick up line.

"Fully aware," Tom said confidently, smiling as Jordan laughed. "Because it's a part of my charm," he added, his smile transforming into a smirk as the other groaned.

"Are you sure you have my heart or whatever? Because something inside of me is really wanting to run you in," Jordan said, watching comically as Tom again feigned offense.

"Maybe I don't! Hell do I know anymore?" Tom exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air as he turned to walk away. He wasn't truly affected by the other's teasing words, though he always had to make a display as if they had. It was more fun that way, as it had always been. Always _will_, probably.

"Hey, wait!" Jordan called, an idea manifesting in his mind as he tried to stop Tom from waltzing off. He smiled slyly as the other turned and shot him a glare, though it was wiped off of Tom's features by the time Jordan made his request. "You know, I think I may want you to prove the thing from earlier,"

Tom paused for a moment, trying to recall what he had attempted to demonstrate. As he thought about it, he was able to remember it vividly. The demand Jordan had given him could be easily achieved as well as gladly. "Do you, now?" he asked, his voice low and partially wanton.

This was perhaps one of his favorite things about Jordan; he always reacted. In most cases the other two gamers would brush him off or joke along weakly, yet this particular one would build off of it, so to speak. Jordan would retort or bring it up in a later conversation as he was doing now, and it made Tom feel somewhat appreciatory and accomplished when the other would do this. It was as though he wasn't saying things purposelessly as sometimes he felt most of his comments ended up being; desultory and unnecessary. A lot of them were, and he could admit that without remorse. Yet it always felt better to have someone pay attention to it anyway, and it was even better if they laughed. It was even better if _Jordan_ laughed at it.

Jordan was a very focused person, and Tom had come to realize this when they had first met in the other world. It was hard for the other to truly get distracted or derailed from a task that he was set on carrying out. There would be missions that they'd be on and Jordan usually was keen on sticking to it. He felt as though if they were a little family of four, Sparklez would be the mother figure for all of them and Tucker would be the abasing father. He and Sonja would just be the idiotic children that ran around without their pants on. Yet the thought of Tucker married to Jordan made him want to dismiss the analogy altogether.

So Jordan is a person of a very concentrated nature, which sometimes means that jokes or teases went over his head. A lot of the time they did, which completely contradicts the earlier statement that said that Jordan did pay attention to Tom's antics and even replied, though Tom found that more recently Jordan was the one who was there to divulge into Tom. This fact wasn't due to the absence of everyone else on the island thus forcing Jordan to be the one to respond, as even before the first season of Mianite had ended he realized that Jordan had indeed paid more attention to him. He answered Tom back and laughed at the jokes, and it made Tom feel elated. Jordan's responsiveness had excited him because it had been so infrequent before, and now it was getting to the point that Tom wanted Jordan to tease him and banter with him all the time because the sound of their laughter was a beautifully resonating harmony to his ear.

He supposed that that was one of the reasons that he enjoyed Jordan so immensely, and he found that list was ever-growing.

"I think it may help me get to understand your _illustrious charm_ a little better, you know?" Jordan answered, trying not to squeak as Tom approached him at a rapid pace. The other gamer flung his arms around Jordan's waist and pulled him in tightly, leaving Jordan red as he had been earlier.

Another thing that Tom would have to add to this list would be the other reaction he could entice. This particular reaction, the one Jordan was giving now, was a bit newer and foreign, yet it was even more rewarding than hearing his laugh. He didn't know that was even remotely possible, though it was. Watching Jordan blush and get all flustered was euphoric, as it was definitely the most adorable and endearing thing he could ever see. As the laugh was, it was alluring and addicting and he wanted to experience the feeling of witnessing such an act repeatedly, though more so. Each time Jordan blushed he wanted to make him blush even more. He would want to say more lewd or sappy things to darken the color and get the other gamer fidgety to the furthest extent. And unlike the laugh, it wasn't just a sense of capability or happiness, but one he wasn't all too familiar with.

A sense of desire.

Which is why he supposed that he was very much okay with what he was to do next.

"Oh I'm sure," Tom purred, removing a hand from Jordan's waist to circle around his neck and pull them together at a near crashing speed. The older gamer near yelped as their lips met and Tom smiled into the kiss, well satisfied with himself. He felt Jordan wrap his arms around his waist, and Tom compensated the act with a little experiment. For all he knew this would be his last chance until who knows when to try anything, so he would take the time to try it out.

Jordan gasped and his grip around Tom loosened as he felt a prod at his lips. The the other gamer took advantage of the action and slipped his tongue into Jordan's mouth, the warmth and wetness feeling welcoming as it overtook his senses. He was able to feel the younger gamer grip him closer and he came to realize that he had gone somewhat weak in the knees and if it hadn't been for the other's demanding arms he would have most likely fallen back on his ass. Tom's taste and tongue were overwhelmingly delightful in a way that had him clutching at the other gamer simply to stay upright as he further explored his mouth.

Truly, if Tom had thought that the way they kissed was dizzying earlier, then this was well beyond vertiginous. He had felt Jordan sway unsteadily when he had first dove in, making Tom think that he was trying to get away from him. Yet the way the older gamer had reciprocated the kiss told him that he was just caught in whatever rapture must have been occurring between them. And Tom couldn't blame him, as he felt a little off-balance as well. He blamed it on the near-mewl Jordan made when he tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

"Tom," Jordan breathed through a pant as he pulled away, immediately regretting the loss of their connection. He wanted to stand there and get lost in Tom for forever, though the need to breath kept him from that. As well as the fact that they were supposed to be at each other's throats in a few minutes; that was well sobering. "We have a thing to do,"

"Yeah, I guess we do," Tom muttered in agreement, though his arms made no move as to depart from their positions on Jordan. "You want to start over by the spawner and I'll start by the farm? Then we'll count to three and go?" he suggested, watching as Jordan confirmed the idea with a small nod.

"Works for me," Jordan said, sighing as he brought his hands down to his sides and Tom took a step back. As much as he wanted to deny it, each breath they took now was just an empty space; a delay. It was evident now that they were stalling now, both he and Tom aware that they couldn't leave it at that though still not speaking after a few moments of silence. Yet a part of him was nagging at the rest of him to just turn and go, screw the rest of their goodbyes and get on with things before there is a chance for further postponement. He wouldn't act on it, though. It was a mere fragment of him, and the rest just wanted him to simply walk up to Tom and hug him without intent of letting go the rest of the day. "But as I said earlier, I've really enjoyed doing this series with you and them and all. It's been fun," he said with a small smile, concluding that a decent parting was well necessary.

"Fun and crazy, yeah. Wouldn't have wanted anything more from a series," Tom agreed, matching the smile Jordan gave. He stepped forward a short distance and extended a hand, nodding to it as he spoke. "It's been a pleasure, Sparklez," he said, shaking Jordan's hand as the other took it.

"Good luck to you, sir," Jordan said, not quite content with a handshake. He let go of Tom's hand and enveloped him in a hug, the other embracing him tightly. It was comradic and cordial, contrasting to their kiss from a few minutes prior, though it seemed to suit this particular part of the farewell. It was a light-hearted send-off of sorts, and the less they made of it now would make it easier to finally turn away. "You'll need it," he added with a smirk as he pulled away, chuckling as it was Tom's turn to roll his eyes.

"Whatever, Jardon. Just remember that I'm not there to save your sorry ass this time around when you get yourself hurt," Tom retorted, taking a few tentative steps back to retreat off to his side of the island slowly. It was about time to get things started (or ending, rather), after all.

"I won't need it," Jordan replied confidently, giving one last nod in Tom's direction as he turned away to face the farm. He took a deep breath and willed his legs to take him over

to his designated spot by the spawner. As he arrived by the stone building he turned and saw the frame of the other gamer in the distance, waving to signify that he was in place.

Misfortunately, though, a zombie had wandered out of the spawner at the sound of Jordan's footsteps and shoved the gamer from behind, catching him off guard. He yelped as the creature descended upon him and frantically swung his sword about, successfully lobbing the monster's head off in the process. He grunted as he cleaned his sword off in the grass, dust clinging to his blade. He hated the fact that he was getting attacked before their fight had even began, and a part of him wondered if it had been a stealthy strategic idea of Tom's to make Jordan come over to the spawner in the first place. He wouldn't doubt it.

Tom watched in confusion as Jordan ducked out of sight after recovering from the mob, though he was able to understand as he saw pillars of glass begin to be made around his side of the island. The other gamer was cleverly placing pillars for hiding. With a small chuckle, he began to follow suit and set out piles of iron that he had on him scattered around his territory. "Ready?" he called out, having placed his last bit over by the farm.

"Whenever you are!" Jordan yelled back, trotting over to the few trees on his side of the land. He leaned on the trunk of a rather thick oak and faced out to the ocean opposite of Tom so that the other wouldn't be able to see him and took another set of deep breaths as he let his head rest on the bark.

"Alright, I'll count down!" Tom replied, stooping behind one of his pillars as he gripped his sword tightly.

This was it.

The most anticipated moment of the series...

"Three,"

_Who would win?_

"Two,"

_Who would lose?_

"One!"

The end.

* * *

Jordan propelled himself out from behind the tree as he heard the final number announced and scurried over the small hill to duck behind one of his pillars behind the animal farm. He looked through the muggy glass and saw that Tom's helmet peeked out from an iron post. "What are you doing over there?" He called as he ran out from the side of the pens. A part of him wanted to play cautiously as Tom was, but a greater part of him just wanted to be avid in the way he attacked this. Or Tom, specifically.

Besides the series, what did they have to lose?

"Not crouching behind a pillar, 'cause that's not the kind of guy I am!" Tom replied as he jumped out in front of the other gamer and swung wildly with his sword. The metal of his hilt made an emphatic clang against Jordan's as the two weapons met and he was driven backwards. He backpedalled quickly and watched as Jordan began to chase him, laughing as it reminded him of something from earlier. "This is just like tag, Jardon! Catch me if you can!"

Following as the other sped off to circle around, Jordan caught up to Tom around the graves and smacked the iron plating on the younger gamer's back and sent him staggering forward. "If you're trying to give me a run around here, bud, it ain't gonna work," he chimed as Tom turned to face him, sword ready. "I tagged you,"

Tom smiled as Jordan attempted to strike at him again, though he blocked it and swiped at the other's arm. He was able to hear Jordan hiss as his gauntlet strap had been sliced along with a thin line on his forearm, yet Tom wasn't going to wait for him. No, he was already making his way past the trophy stand. "I'm going to have you off, boy!"

Jordan discarded his broken plating into the grass and ran after Tom, trying to hit him though the only thing he was able to whack were the stalks of sugar cane in his way. "Dammit, Tom, this sugar cane is all I can hit," he muttered, though the other gamer had already dove into the water to escape.

"Too bad, so sad," Tom voiced teasingly as he surfaced, paddling through the water as Jordan jumped in after him. He quickly scrambled up onto the bay and trudged his way up the hill to squat behind a tree, catching his breath as Jordan still splashed about in the water.

"Why the hell did you jump into the ocean?" Jordan groaned as he swam towards the shoreline. Tom came out from his hiding place and rushed him as he was about to get out, kicking salt water about as he shoved Jordan back in. "Okay, rude,"

"Why did _you_ go back in?" Tom said with a laugh, doubling over as the tip of Jordan's sword met his calf. It pierced shallowly, just enough for blood to seep and for it to burn as the salt licked it away. "You dick, Sparklez," he spat, retreating down the coast as Jordan was able to pull himself out of the water this time.

"You're it," Jordan asserted as he trailed Tom, the other running back around the farm to get to the area in front of their house. He found it comical that he was the one hunting the younger gamer down after all of the trash talk from earlier, though he supposed it was rightly so. Karma was a bitch.

Tom circled about a pillar as Jordan came at him, parrying the aggressive attacks with strained effort. He smacked away the other's sword with his own and stepped back to retreat and run off again like he had been doing seemingly this whole time, though Jordan placed a blow to his chest and his breath was knocked from him. He gasped and swung his sword in defense as he tried to regain his ability to breathe, but Jordan skillfully dodged it and made a cut on Tom's sword hand as well as his thigh and upper arm, more of his blood toppling from wounds of his. He could see a bit of concern in the other's eyes as they were made, though something told him that this would not stop Jordan from pursuing him even harder. If he wanted a chance to live he'd _have _to run, and fast, at that.

Pain was dripping in the back of Jordan's mind as he saw how his attacks were faring on Tom. Jordan was getting it a bit rough as well, though it wasn't exactly comparable to Tom's sate. He had some scratches and a small gash from the younger's blade, yes, but Tom had gouges that he himself didn't even seem to be aware of and Jordan was sure that there would be a hefty bruise on his chest from where he was hit with the sword handle. The other gamer wasn't doing well, and as he ran away down on the bridge, Jordan had a feeling of guilt and remorse. But he'd have to give him chase, nonetheless. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't stop until he was forced to.

Jordan's footsteps became audible to Tom as he made it halfway down the cobble bridge connecting to the mini island where the Nether portal was located, a stream of _no no no no_ now falling from his lips. He felt achy all throughout his arms and legs as they seemingly began to get heavy with their contused flesh. "Jordan," he muttered, turning his head to see that the other was now right behind him. In a last-ditch effort, he jumped up onto the railing, the initial laceration on his leg screaming in defiance. He thought that it had been a small cut when it had first been made, though it was evident that he wasn't actually knowledgeable of the actual state of most of his received injuries. "Don't tag me," he said as Jordan stopped on the ground in front of him, a weak, pained smile on both of their faces.

"Sorry," Jordan apologized simply though genuinely, giving Tom a prod with his sword. The younger gamer screamed and fell back into the water behind him in a vicious tumult, curses blending into shouts of Jordan's own name as Tom was swallowed by the seawater. Jordan ran around the short length left on the bridge and deposited himself into the sand on the small island, his eyes scanning the water for a disturbance that would signal Tom's surfacing. "You can't go to the Nether," he grumbled to himself, giving himself a reason as to why he had thrown the other off of the bridge. He hated doing all of this, truly. It was fun back in Mianite to have standoffs like this one, though those were sporadic and meaningless; cures for simple cases of boredom. But this was significant and pressured and just _different_. In this scenario, he didn't want to hurt Tom. But he had to, and it was taking out the fun that could have usually been had.

Tom floundered about in the water, panicking as he became painfully aware that he had dropped his sword in the fall. Why did Jordan always have to push him into the water? Why couldn't they stay on land where he couldn't be an idiot and let go of his weapon; the sole thing that he had to defend himself? In the past few times in had been more of a hindrance to be shoved into the sea and inevitably beaten by the other gamer, but this was a disability that he could not afford. This would result in the loss of not a petty game initiated by the two of them, but the whole thing. He would lose now.

He would die.

He reasoned that he could simply go under and try to swim to the bottom and try to search for the blade down there as it had definitely sunk, but his whole body was protesting the idea. Even if he were to go down and retrieve it successfully, his lungs would most likely give out before he came back up, and even if he could do _that_, the salt water was resonating a sharp sting in all of his cuts, making them feel weightless in the water as they throbbed tenderly. There was no hope for his sword now, and he realized that his fate would be placed in the hand of the other, who, in their other hand, would be brandishing a sword.

And he was going to be killed by it.

Jordan watched as Tom swam into the bay, weaponless and shaking. As he approached from the side, the other gamer flopped onto his back and panted, regarding Jordan with a groan.

"I'm it, yeah?" Tom asked weakly, already well aware of what the answer was. His elbows and heels dug into the soft, wet sand, small waves hitting him in the chest as he let his body lull with the movement of the sea. The caps of his knees stuck out above the water as he had thrown himself in a relatively shallow part of the sandbar, the cool breeze dancing over his skin as it tickled him. He looked up at the older gamer, barely meeting his gaze as he felt shameful of his position. He didn't like to surrender, and especially not in a fashion such as this, but what choice did he have? He had to resort to pity, which was most of what he felt for himself as he gazed up at the one in front of him. "Jordan," he choked, his plea soft as the other gamer stepped forward, placing a foot on either side of Tom's body.

Jordan shivered as he heard Tom say his name on quivering lips. He bent down and unfastened the other's chest plate with one hand and pulled it off of Tom's frame, tossing it back into the water behind them. He looked back down at the still gamer beneath him and sighed, unable to meet Tom's eyes. After the passing of a small moment he forced himself to finally bore his eyes into the apprehensive ones belonging to Tom and he could hear the other mewl fearfully.

"Jordan,"

He felt Tom exhale deeply as Jordan lowered himself the rest of the way down and cupped the other gamer's face with his free hand.

He felt Tom's cool lips as he gave him one last lingering kiss.

He felt Tom flinch at the touch of the tip of Jordan's sword against his chest, though Jordan kept his hold on him firm.

He felt Tom's worried noises being muffled as he continued to kiss him.

He felt Tom shake as the waves sloshed water over them.

He felt Tom clutch at the fabric of Jordan's shirt that he had began to cling to as a hot tear ran down his face.

He felt Tom open his eyes in alarm, his eyelashes brushing against the side of his face as he moved.

He felt Tom scream as the sword was pushed in through his abdomen.

"Jordan!" Tom yelled exasperatedly as he pulled away from the cloying kiss, an intense pain blossoming in the area in which the sword punctured. It was acutely sharp, demanding all of his attention and nerves as it sang out in it's melody of agony. He felt as his body began to numbly pulsate and thrum, his breath staggering as he became warm with the feeling of his own blood encompassing them in the water. "Jordan," he repeated, looking up at the other gamer in front of him.

"Tom, I'm sorry," Jordan spoke, hurt lacing his words heavily as he felt Tom tremble under his grip. "I'm so sorry," He watched as Tom began to get pale, though the other gamer was still able to manage a small smile at the words.

"It's fine," Tom said through a grunt, trying to maintain his breathing as he addressed Jordan. It was getting harder and harder to keep composure as mere seconds went by, as he was becoming aware that his body was becoming lumbering and weighted again. On top of that, the pain was making him extremely tired and lethargic. He had to fight to keep his eyelids open and for his arms to remain in their places slung around Jordan's neck. He was fading fast, and he knew it. "You won, and I'll see you on the other side sometime, okay?" he said, spitting out the words quickly and in away that they tripped over each other as they rushed out, needing to be uttered.

"Okay," Jordan said with a nod, feeling Tom's hold begin to go limp. "Goodbye, Tom," he finished breathlessly, watching as the body of his friend went entirely limp and quiet. He looked down at Tom and let out a choked sob, somewhat horrified and troubled at the sight.

He had done this.

He had killed Tom, and now he was here all alone.

Prying his eyes away for a quick moment, he looked around behind him, his eyes searching for nothing in particular as he felt his chest grow heavy with burden. He gasped as he turned back around and saw that the place Tom had once lay was unoccupied, the only thing there being the red-tinted water. He sat back onto his heels in the water, his mouth agape yet not daring to utter anything. Just like that; he was gone.

Jordan didn't know how exactly he had gotten there, but a few minutes later he found that he was finally out of the cold waters in front of their portal and standing in the doorway of what had previously been his and Tom's quarters for the past few weeks. He didn't think he had the strength to pull himself away from that spot, though he supposed that he had the sensibility to, anyway.

He made his way over to a chest that contained the supplies that he would need to take the next step and make the grave, he having had the time last night to set the items aside for whoever would end up needing them as Tom slept. Funny how he had the forethought to do something such as prepare for building a grave that he didn't even know would be built. Though, it appeared that he'd need to make it, nonetheless. Which hurt, truly. He didn't want to have to make any sort of thing for a friend. He didn't want to kill him in the first place. But this was customary and he figured that he may as well honor the death that he caused.

Grabbing a shovel and the various grave materials, he trotted out of the house and shut the door behind him. It didn't feel right to be in there without the expectation that Tom was about to stroll in at any moment, that he would be there and that it was all as it should have been. That everything was normal and it was just another typical day. That he hadn't just killed his friend. But of course, the time for that was over.

It was all over.

He set the supplies down on the ground and equipped the shovel, digging out a space big enough for two blocks evenly spaced next to the other graves. Filling the hole with cobble, he took the stone wall fragments and made an upside-down _T_ with them in the grass behind the now existing gravebed. With a sigh, he took the sign and scribbled on it with the writing utensil that came with it and adorned the finished piece onto the walls with some torches on either side, transforming the structure into a headstone that almost matched the others.

_RIP_

_Tom _

_2014-2014 _

He stood up and wandered over to the farm, collecting some poppies to decorate the grave with. Having gathered a full bouquet of the flowers, he made his way back and replanted them around in the grass beside the gravebed. He looked down the row at all of the resting places of his friends; a line of identical markers made in a notably decent symmetry.

How he was able to outlast them all was beyond him. He sure that he would have been the first to go, having made a self-inflicted slip up of some sort that would turn out to be fatal or something along those lines. But no, here he stood; the sole survivor after a month of turmoil and outlandishness that could only be experienced in a world such as this one. Which, he supposed, he was now the conqueror of.

At the beginning of the series when he had initially considered the speculation of winning the whole thing he had imagined that he would dance proudly over the graves of the other three and gloat about it as he rightfully would have been able to do. But dancing or anything pertaining to the idea was far from his mind now. He didn't really care about the fact that he won, as it occurred to him that the accomplishment wasn't one to appreciate or brag about.

Winning was lonely and fruitless.

Successfully completing the tasks and trials they were to succumb to on the island would have been more significant if he had perhaps the ability to share it with the person who had beaten it alongside him. Only if he'd be allowed the luxury.

"_You won, _huh?" Jordan said as he kneeled down in front the freshly made grave, massaging a petal of one of the extra flowers that he had accumulated as he repeated the words Tom had said to him. "Did I, really?" He asked, the words forming on his tongue sharply as the flower crumpled under his touch. "It doesn't feel like I did anything grand," He threw the flower down onto the grave and stood back up.

"Because you aren't here to make it feel that way,"

A single tear fell from his eye and it came crashing down onto the stone, leaving a darkened spot from where it splattered.

"You aren't here to strip mine with, or go swimming unexpectedly, or kill mobs from the spawner we made, or play dead in stupid places, or make jokes about Tucker or Sonja, or pet the bunny stupid rabbit she made us take care of," He said accusingly, a small upturn of a smile evident in one of the corners of his mouth. "Or even to get into little fights with and make up by kissing," he added with a small chuckle, though his features remaining light for only a few more silent moments.

"You told me that once we left that the island would fall, right? Well you lied, Tom, because I'm still here and it's already falling around me, and you aren't here,"

* * *

Jordan stepped out into the bustling bar that Tucker had indicated in his text, finding that it was already packed well full with various groups of people. Finding his particular crowd of people would be a bit harder than he expected.

He was late, which was odd enough. When it came to being places at a certain time, he found that we was usually pretty good at sticking to that schedule. Unless, of course, if it was his own livestream. Those were always a bit harder, somehow. But he had a reason, of course, as there had been an emergency meeting at the game dev. office that he couldn't very well get out of, being that he was one of the heads on the whole project itself. An excuse such as "_My friends from a Minecraft series that I was actively a part of are in town for the whole week and I need to go to a bar with them tonight specifically to socialize and stuff so I kinda have to skip out on this important meeting," _would not be suitable enough.

Ergo, here he was, standing awkwardly at the front of whatever place this was with his phone in hand, half an hour late.

But yes, Tom and Sonja were in LA for the week. Sonja, presumably for one of her annual trips to see her boyfriend, and Tom, for whatever reason he had. He always popped in every other month or so to work on a project or go to some convention based in this particular city, though he believed this time was just for an offhand visit. Regardless of his motivation for coming, Jordan was excited to see the other gamer, nonetheless.

After all, he hadn't seen him since the end of the Trinity Island series. It had only been a few weeks after it had ended, though in the fashion that it did, it felt as though it had been even longer. Never in his life had he felt as empty and alone as he did when he stood in front of Tom's grave after he had killed him to assume the title of victor. Hell, even after he had left the island and gotten home he was still shaken up. It didn't help that the scenario haunted him in the form of twisted nightmares for the following week, either.

Of course afterwards there had been Tweets and Skype calls between the two of them. The communication with Tom had helped make him feel better about all that had him somewhat concerned, but it was nothing like getting to see the other in the flesh. A conversation held in person would be different compared to any one simulated in the form of a message. It just was, and simply because most of the time it held more meaning because there was that physical involvement. And Jordan didn't know what to expect in his first face-to-face meeting after the series ended would be like or entitle or anything.

So to put it bluntly; Jordan was a bit nervous about actually **seeing him**.

All day had his head been swimming with thoughts of this imminent get-together, the hours going at a crawling pace. This, as could be expected, made the meeting he had to endure a lot less enjoyable than it could have been on any average day, which was already a limited amount. He couldn't get over the excited energy that he got over the mere thought of getting to see his gaming-buddy for their first time since their awkward hook-up or whatever it had been when they were secluded on that island, to put it mildly. It was driving him mad.

So then perhaps more than _a bit nervous._

He knew that this altruistic anxiety was originating from their time on the island, as he had never gotten this worked up over meeting with someone that he already knew fairly well, and that was the one event that could have changed the feel of their relationship. And "change" was probably not an accurate but an undermining term to describe all that happened to them during that time whilst confined on Trinity, as it was more of a blossoming. Jordan was sure that the feelings and potential had all been there, hidden in the buds or seeds, and then with some time and care, it turned into some sort of flower and whatnot.

It was sappy, but he didn't know any other way to describe it. He was sure that what did happen on the island was quite unpredictable and most likely entirely unheard of. Or at least he had never heard of an instance such as the one he had experienced, though he was fairly certain that he may never hear of one again outside of his own. Actually, if they would have their way, he could see it being the only thing he'd hear about considering the fact that Sonja and Tucker would undoubtedly badger them about it. Snide gay remarks and teasing glances was exactly what he would come to expect and nothing short. After all, that was pretty much what they had done when they sent him and Tom messages whilst they were still on the island, so in person it would probably be more relentless and unrepentant.

All the more meaningful.

A buzz from the phone in his hand brought his attention back to his location and purpose for the moment and he keyed in his password and saw that Tucker had texted him to update him on where they were in the bar, no doubt getting impatient that he wasn't there with them yet. With a sigh, he tucked the phone into the depths of his pocket and made his way past nameless people and crowded tables to the back of the establishment, his eyes searching for the red moon-shaped booth indicated by the text. The sharp contrasting color caught his attention and soon he saw the two animated faces of Tucker and Sonja.

Though he noted that there were only two, and that Tom was nowhere in sight. He couldn't help but feel a small twinge of disappointment, as he had gotten so amped up for the moment in which he would get to see him. Though it appeared as though it hadn't arrived yet. It was odd, as he would have assumed that the three of them would have arrived together since they were all staying in the same place, but he disregarded it. He'd just have to wait a bit longer to release all of this nervous energy, sadly.

"Jordan! Hey!" Tucker called, a smile flashing brightly on his face as he waved the tardy gamer over.

"Welcome your ass to the party, Sparklez," Sonja greeted with a giggle as Jordan came over. "Where were you?"

"The office. Something came up and I had to stay a few minutes late," Jordan explained, scooting into the booth to sit with them. They wriggled around to make room for him, even though there was ample empty space. For some reason they had decided to take up a piece of seating that was meant for a larger group of people even though they only had four in theirs, yet he wasn't going to complain. At least they _had_ a table in a place that was as busy as this one was. "And I'm guessing that I'm not the only one who was a little late," he commented, mentioning Tom's absence in a way that was subtle enough.

Confusion crossed over both Tucker's and Sonja's faces. "Oh, he's here," Sonja said as she realized what Jordan had meant.

"Yeah, he's at the bar right now," Tucker finished, pointing lazily over to the area across the room to gesture towards the counter area that Jordan had absentmindedly walked past, the expanse of it overflowing with glasses and waitresses and other miscellaneous people

Though as Jordan's gaze raked over the space, he saw the familiar form of the British gamer sitting at the bar, an amber colored drink being nursed in his hand as he chatted happily with a blonde girl sitting adjacent to him at the counter. She threw her head back as she laughed at some witty comment that most have come from Tom, he hand making its way comfortably and easily onto his shoulder.

Jordan felt as his fist clenched around a napkin and his stomach was performing somersaults as he took in a deep, shaky breath. Immediately he felt all of the nervous feelings bundle up and condense instead of vacate like he had originally assumed would happen upon seeing the other gamer, as he had expected to feel alleviated after getting to finally see him after so long. But it wasn't a feeling of relief, but a saccharine envy.

He couldn't help the little pang of jealousy, because what was he to do? _This _was what he should have expected; progression. And specifically away from Jordan instead of towards, as it had been almost a month since he had seen the guy. With that, it wasn't as though they found themselves wrapped in engaging conversations together each and every day, expressing themselves as they had when they had been around each other on the island. It was impractical, and he should have reasoned that Tom would have gotten over their little fling.

And Jordan supposed that that was all it was going to be, as they hadn't exactly had any deep conversations about themselves and where they stood relationship-wise other than the the initial few on the island, so that possibly meant that they had reached the extent that they were going to be. He wasn't exactly open to this, as he figured that he had put a relatively large effort into the both of them, though he supposed that it wasn't enough to actually sustain anything. He hadn't done or been good enough to prolong anything.

As much as he wanted to say it didn't hurt to watch Tom from afar, laughing with some girl as he was probably moving on from an irrelevant and temporary indulgence, it did. It filled his mouth with a bitter taste that had him feeling insignificant and petty, as he was allowing this to now consume his resolute confidence. Hadn't he sat at the very end of the Trinity Island finale and complained about winning because Tom wasn't there? The resurfacing thought of how he had said such things and made a big deal out of it sent a surge of inflamed embarrassment through him.

Though it was most likely nothing personal on his part, as distance has the unwavering ability to tear apart the strongest of relationships, not that his and Tom's was exactly stable, now that he thought about it. After all, Tom was a social guy, and well attractive at that, so it would be brainless to assume that he wouldn't get around and open himself up for other people when a person that he had a friend in and also happened to kiss a few times was on the other side of the world.

Jordan wasn't anything special, and because he had failed to realize it before, it was causing him pain in a moment that he couldn't afford it.

Because Tom was looking right at him.

The other gamer at the bar had turned to casually glance over at the table and rightfully drifted back to the woman he was conversing with, and Jordan felt another twinge of insecurity as he seemingly went unnoticed. Though, as he himself was about to turn and delve into the discussion that Sonja and Tucker were having as an escape, he saw that Tom had turned back around very quickly as to take a double-take, a wide grin adorning his features.

Jordan's breath hitched as he watched Tom stand up off his stool and excuse himself, making his way straight to the table. He could hear as Tucker and Sonja's conversation that had been continuing on without him cease altogether, a thick and charged silence now taking over the booth as Tom neared.

"Jordan!" Tom called as he got closer, nothing but eagerness and excitement coating his tone as he smiled at the older gamer. As he did, Jordan realized that he hadn't been ignored or unnoticed, as it was just the opposite. Tom had stopped his conversation with the woman as soon as he had seen that Jordan was there, and this notion lit a dizzying elation in his head and gut.

Though before he could greet the other in any form, Tom was upon him. His hands found the side's of Jordan's face and coaxed the older gamer forward into a needy kiss, Jordan placing his hands on Tom's wrists as he tried to lengthen Tom's time there; exactly where he had longed him to be. He didn't know exactly how much he missed this until he got to experience it again; the wonderful sensation of Tom kissing him. He was able to hear Sonja's thrilled cooing and Tucker's slew of excited curses, to which Tom responded to with sitting down on the bench to pull Jordan in further. That got the them to squeak, and not excluding Jordan himself.

"Where were you? I've been waiting a good half hour to do that, you dick," Tom chastised playfully as he pulled away, a faux pout replacing the grin that Jordan had seen there a moment ago.

"Well, if I had known that, maybe I would have willed LA traffic to go faster than I already had been," Jordan retorted, a light blush evident on his cheeks as he turned to see both Tucker and Sonja beaming at them smugly.

"Ah, oh well. You're here now, and I'm not dead, so everything is okay. Isn't that right, Mr. Episode Three?" Tom inquired with a smirk, snaking his arm around Jordan's waist to bring him to sit closer to him.

Jordan smiled as light banter ensued between them, filling the atmosphere with a pleasant comfort that he had come to embrace over the past few months. He didn't think that he could have ever been as thankful for it as much as he did in that moment, as a only a few before he was almost positive that he would never again be quite content with it. He had gotten his head so muddled with jealousy from seeing Tom interact civilly with a bartender that he had jumped to wild conclusions and he almost found it funny how insecurities and concentrated nervous energy could do that to a person.

Though he supposed that his thought process hadn't been too completely irrational, as there could have been reason in what he had produced in his apprehension-induced mind. Tom very well could have gotten over him and fled off to some heterosexual sanctuary where he wouldn't have to worry about Jordan, though he knew that that wouldn't be giving Tom's character enough credit. He was loyal to his friends and a downright good person if Jordan had ever met one, and Tom wouldn't have been scared off so easily, anyway. Thinking otherwise would mean potentially that Jordan hadn't spent several weeks cloistered on an island with him, and that was something that he had definitely done.

And Jordan wouldn't trade those weeks for anything. They had been crazed and fun, adventurous and exhilarating, and utterly unregrettable. Sorting out things between him and Tom had been dicey and confusing at best, though he felt as though the outcome was profitable enough, seeing as though he was practically in his arms as they sat at a bar with their friends.

He felt a sense of gratefulness pour over him as he wormed his way closer to Tom, smiling as the arm around him gave him an encouraging squeeze. He turned his head up to look at Tom's laughing one, and he pressed a small kiss to the other gamer's jaw just for the fun of it. After all, he had him, and he may as well embrace him as he could.

"I still can't believe you two became a thing," Sonja snickered, quite obviously not oblivious to their little exchange. "I guess all it took was to kill me off, eh, Sparklez?" she accused playfully, covering up her laugh with her shirt sleeve.

"It was an accident, I swear! I tried to save you!" Jordan pleaded, rolling his eyes as he chuckled himself. He supposed that one could see it that way, as it had been his comment that he had made that provoked her to re-enter back into the temple, though that hadn't been the case. He hadn't meant for her to die.

"And you were the idiot that didn't drink your regen pots," Tom said as he shrugged his shoulders, all of them laughing as Sonja's face grew red.

"I had regen pots?" She asked sheepishly, laughing along with them as Tucker cradled his head in his hands and sighed.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Sonja," Tucker said with a groan, nudging his girlfriend with his knee.

"Your blood is on your own hands," Jordan commented backhandedly, trying to hide a smirk from his face as Sonja cursed to herself. It was something he was sure Tom had said to him at one point, and it felt good to throw it back at her.

"Well, at least my death opened up an opportunity for you two to experience your little homosexual epiphany or whatever," she said, pointing to Tom and Jordan as she took a drink from her bottle.

"_Homosexual Epiphany?_ You fucking serious?" Tom asked in a bark of a laugh, shaking his head at the remark. Jordan had to admit, it was a creative way of phrasing what had happened.

"That's exactly what it was, if you think about it," Tucker put in. "I mean, you both realized that you were gay for each other, and that's kind of what that means,"

Jordan laughed and nodded, still finding it to be an odd way of labeling it. Then again, all of it still felt odd, so it was to be as expected. Heck, he didn't know if the thought would ever feel exactly normal to him, as it couldn't. That was the great thing about it; it wasn't normal. He and Tom weren't exactly traditional, but special. The idea was dripping with sap, but he felt that it held a good bit of truth, as well.

"Well, I guess," Tom muttered with a softer laugh as he let his head fall so that it rested against Jordan's. "But we certainly didn't kill anybody to make time for it. If anything, getting rid of you two was just a bonus. Would have dragged us down, anyway,"

Tucker scoffed. "Yeah right, it took you a _month _to finish the whole thing,"

"And you three days to get yourself killed," Tom retorted with a smirk.

"Easy, ladies," Sonja interjected, placing her hands out as to warn them to stay away from making violent advances towards the other as to mock them. "No need to get our panties in a twist,"

"Sorry, you know how I get when my thong rides up," Tucker murmured, shaking his head as he took a sip of his beer.

"It _was_ hell of a series, though, even if it did take a while," Tom said, running his free hand through his hair.

"Yeah, it felt real good to win it," Jordan mused, watching as everyone else rolled their eyes at him. They had seen his little splay and knew well of how he felt, though he figured that now was the time to brag about it if any.

"Liar," Tom whined. "And I let you win, bitch. Threw away my sword and everything,"

"Sure you did, Tom. We saw the fight, and Jordan dominated your sorry ass," Tucker said flatly, though he soon realized his poor choice of words as Sonja feigned a gag next to him. "Not what I meant,"

Tom laughed hysterically and Jordan's cheeks blossomed in shades of pinks, embarrassment settling there deeply. Perhaps he would need to get used to the comments more.

"Oh yeah, definitely," Sonja mumbled.

Tucker turned to her and tried to argue his true intent, though it only made her laugh at him even more. As he did, though, Tom lifted his head off of Jordan's and began to play with the other gamer's hair.

"I don't think I've properly greeted you yet," Tom said wryly, a smirk still present on his features.

"You sure? I think you did a good job of saying _hello_ if I recall," Jordan replied, returning the smile as he leaned into the touch.

"Is that so? I figured it was the good thing to do since our last goodbye wasn't exactly romantic," Tom replied with a small laugh, scooting closer to Jordan so that their thighs were pressed together comfortably. "With you _dominating my ass_, and all,"

"Oh god, don't quote Tucker like that," Jordan pleaded, burying his face in Tom's shoulder.

"Why? Does it make you uncomfortable, Sparkley-Dick?" Tom purred, laughing as Jordan lifted his head from it's position in the crook of his neck to give Tom a glare. "Relax, man. I'm just messing with you,"

"I know," Jordan said, rolling his eyes at Tom's remarks. "It's your specialty,"

"Damn right," Tom agreed, ruffling Jordan's hair as the other gamer groaned. "Hey," he called softly, trying to regain Jordan's attention. "It's good to see you again, buddy," he said in a light tone, cupping the other's chin as he gave him puppy dog eyes.

"Likewise," Jordan hummed, laughing as Tom's eyes widened comically in offense.

"_Likewise,_ huh? Wow, Jardon, I thought that we were closer than that," Tom scoffed, pushing Jordan away playfully. "Was our whole time on the island a lie?" he asked in an exaggerated tone, flinging his arms up in a dramatic splay of despair. "And to think that I found your little rant at the end to be quite touching,"

"Nah, man. Syndisparklez for life, remember?" Jordan prompted, a grin threatening to spread across his face as he watched Tom let one form on his own face at the comment.

"Hell yes, Jordan," Tom said as he wrapped his arms around the other gamer's neck, pulling him in for another slow kiss as the couple beside them bickered absentmindedly.

Jordan was starting to discern that Tom had relatively no issue with expressing himself with the Jordan whilst the other two gamers in close proximity, though he supposed that it could be because they had already witnessed it in the episodes that had been developed from their gameplay on the island. They were the first ones -other than Dec, of course- that were privy to Jordan and Tom's feelings, and in some cases before even the other knew. It was odd to perceive it that way, yet that was how it was.

"Get a room, you two," Tucker groaned as he finally noticed that his friends beside him were taking advantage of his focus to make out. Or lack thereof, as he wasn't exactly focused on them, but they were seemingly very focused on each other.

"Sorry," Jordan muttered, departing from Tom with an embarrassed smile as soon as he heard the other gamer's voice address them.

"Got a little carried away," Tom said with a smirk, laughing as Jordan kicked him underneath the table.

Sonja sat and looked at the two of them, smiling brightly as she watched both Jordan and Tom make small banter between themselves for a moment. "You guys really fell for each other, didn't you?" she asked in a quiet voice, though Jordan figured that she probably already knew the answer.

"Hey, we had world on our side, didn't we?" Tom began, choosing to respond for the both of them. "It was going to be a little shit and fall all around us, so I guess we did the smart thing and fell together," he added with a smile, giving Jordan a light squeeze. "Quote that, I dare you,"

"Fall, we did," Jordan agreed, pursing his lips as he tried to deter a dangerously contented smile that was desperately fighting its way onto his face. He ignored Tom's attempt to cover up the saccharine answer he had given, having found it comical and rare that it had been made in the first place. It was cute and raw.

Though Tom was exactly right, and it elated him. A lot of shit happened while they were on that island; crazy things that he would have never experienced had he not been on it. Mainly being that he was now able to look at Tom in a new gloriously confounding light. That light was blinding and blinked awkwardly sometimes, but he'd be damned if he flipped the switch for that. His time participating on Trinity Island was not anything to disregard or waste, for sure. Tom was proof of that.

Jordan would admit that today he had happened to have the sappiest mentality on earth, though he believe it to have been reasonably provoked, seeing as it had been the first day that he had seen Tom since he had killed him on the island. That was well evident now, and perhaps getting redundant. Yes, the island had plunged at their very feet as Tom had voiced and then Jordan's singularly as Tom had been forced to leave him, but he had another fall to focus on now.

Theirs.

And judging by Jordan and Tom's situation right now, the both of them cuddled up at some cozy little bar in downtown LA with their fellow predisposed islanders, it would be a long, steep, descent further into their little abyss.

* * *

**A/N: Oh my gOSH IT'S OVER.**

**WOW.**

**That took seven months. **

**Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoyed this story! It was fun to write, and I like how it turned out. I was actually planning on having a depressing ending, but a part of me just would die inside if I let that happen to this. It's been utter fluff all the way through, and it would be weird to change it up at the end. **

**But yeah, thank you so much to those of you that left reviews or favorited and all of that. The feedback really helped and pushed me along. :)**

**So if you want more Syndisparklez, check out my other story if you haven't yet. ****The Blood of Revolutions and Moons****. It's a Mianite fic about the two of them teaming up for the revolution and it's more angsty and a little more smutty (will be) for those who would be interested in that. As well, Jordan and Tom aren't the main focuses 100% of the time, so if you would be interested in a Mianite story in general it could function that way too. It's got Andor and Steve and more to come. Give it a peek, if you will. I have some fun things in store for it real soon. Just saying. **

**Also, there's the smutty ****Zombie Squirrels Got Two Idiots Laid****, but I don't have much to say about that one. It's a little oneshot. Some angst, some sex. Yeah. **

**And if anyone has some other story suggestions or would like to see another pairing or whatever, run it by me! I'd love to get a few more Mianite oneshots or mini stories going along with the main one. There's not many fanfictions for this stuff, and I'd love to supply some. I just need to know what people are willing to read. So like, Motanite, Spandor, Sparkanite, Marthlington, all of that or even just a little scenario that doesn't need a pairing. Just let me know. It's summer and I'm bored. :)**

**Feel free to leave some last-chapter reviews, too. Let me know what you thought of it as a whole.**

**So thanks again, and I hope you all enjoyed The Fall of Trinity Island! **


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